When I got started in real estate, I literally walked away from my life and everything – and everyone – I knew. I put fear in the backseat and made a decision to give it everything I had and to remove failure as an option.

I would be lying to if I didn’t tell you I was terrified more often than not in the early days. So understand that most people in your shoes would feel exactly the same way you do, no matter what your situation is.

But the question I ask you is: What are you afraid of?

The easy answer is fear of failure, but I believe that more people have a fear of success. When you are afraid of failing, you don’t give it EVERYTHING you have. That fear keeps you from putting forth a real effort. It gives you a constant out. “I didn’t do my best, but I could have if I really wanted to”.

The fear of success is what happens when you start moving forward. It’s the fear that “this could work”. Then what? What about your family? Your friends? What would you do if things changed?

Things WILL change if you put all of your energy, effort and focus into changing your future. But remember… change is natural. Change is good. And the only constant in the universe is change.

Learn to embrace the fear and learn to be uncomfortable. I had a very dear friend of mine, who’s remained a friend over the years, say to me one night, “Heather, you’d never be comfortable with comfortable”. At the time, I was a little offended, but learned later that it was the biggest compliment he could have ever given me because it meant that I had finally stopped worrying about what everyone else thought, and was focused on my future.

Fear can creep up on you when you are not looking and you may not be asking for what you want only what you think you can get. This happens to all of us. I even sometimes catch myself not necessarily acting in my own best interest because of fear. Learn to stay aware of your fear and how it can overpower and paralyze you.

Overcoming fear allows you to be the best that you can be.

Learn to have a positive attitude and surround yourself with like-minded people. This is the key to not letting these fears overwhelm you. And, when they creep up, reach out for support. Someone will be there to put you back on the right track. The fear of success may be more about the fear of losing what you achieve.

I ask you, are you more comfortable never achieving your dreams for fear that you might lose something in the pursuit? Or are you ready to go out and get the things in life that you want and not take no for an answer?