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Ann Handley

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Follow The Fear: Do Things That Scare You

I used to think that being afraid of everything was a weakness. Then I learned how to “follow the fear,” and use fear to my advantage.

This is an annotated version of a talk I gave on the Bold Talks stage at Hubspot‘s INBOUND event. I published the essay that became the basis for this talk over at LinkedIN.

But here, ima give you the slide deck. It more efficiently tells the story of why a “Bold Talk” pushed me out of my comfort zone.

(Speaking publicly about content marketing is a piece of cake. Speaking publicly about myself? Not so much.)

(Note: This might be best viewed in Full Screen mode. But maybe your eyes can handle it. Your call.)


#FollowTheFear: Do Things That Scare You from Ann Handley

Thanks to:

Amy Gahran, for articulating so well the idea that your comfort zone is your dead zone, which I first wrote about over at LinkedIn;

Debbie Millman for sharing that John Madea quote and articulating in her work what I’ve felt in a vague way, but couldn’t quite grok until I read it;

and Tim Washer for introducing me to the work of actor, writer and improv teacher Del Close, who coined the phrase “Follow the Fear.” I don’t know if Del meant to apply it the way I ultimately did. But I don’t think he’d mind.

And finally: Big thanks to Laura Fitton for inviting me to INBOUND, and equally big thanks to Hubspot for scaring me senseless. In the best possible way.

Filed Under: Annarchy, Business, Children, Family History, Social Media

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tim Washer says

    September 8, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    I’ve thought about point #2 (slide 45) several times since your outstanding speech. Why is this one so difficult for so many of us? I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to Simon about it.

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      September 9, 2013 at 11:43 am

      🙂 me too. Such a wise creature.

      Reply
  2. Leigh Durst says

    September 9, 2013 at 12:33 am

    Is it possible you have your next book topic, Annie? I can see it now… your own unique insight and wisdom written with the transparency and sometimes sardonic humor of David Sedaris, the frank warmth of Ruth Reichel and the poignant life insights I’d find with Annie Lamott. You are amazing. Thank you for following the fear and encouraging me to do the same. XO.

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      September 9, 2013 at 11:44 am

      Thanks, my friend. Working title, “Once weird kid turns out surprisingly okay.” Lol…!!

      Reply
  3. Shannon McDonough says

    September 9, 2013 at 9:47 am

    Ann, thanks for sharing this thinking with those of us who weren’t there that day. I wish every 6th grader, high schooler, college graduate, teacher/professor, repressed artist, parent, grandparent and clergyperson could read this.

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      September 9, 2013 at 11:46 am

      Thank you, Shannon. Also, anyone who’s ever felt a little uncomfortable in their own skin. Which I’m guessing is most of us, at one point or another.

      Reply
      • Shannon McDonough says

        September 10, 2013 at 1:35 pm

        Very true. The vulnerable us.

        Reply
  4. unbdot says

    September 9, 2013 at 11:17 am

    Hey, wait a minute…. slide 14, which ones?

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      September 9, 2013 at 11:38 am

      Lol.. Pretty much ALL. Especially the ones with accents. In wheelchairs. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Mickey says

    September 10, 2013 at 11:58 am

    I loved – LOVED – your list of fears from when you were a child. It seems hauntingly similar (in scope, that is) to my current list of fears. What struck me is the fact that my brain seems to find more and more to fear *if I stop to think about it*. My trick is to diffuse fear using humor – my way of whistling in the dark.

    And I adored (as you knew I would) Simon’s insights. That dog? Fuzzy sage.

    Thanks, Ann, for making me think. And for making it fun.

    Reply
  6. Gary Stockton says

    September 11, 2013 at 11:48 am

    Great post and presentation Ann. Your diary of fears sounds eerily familiar, although, I do remember being a lot more extroverted in my youth, and introversion has crept up on me these last few years. I really like that part about Simon, and assuming everyone loves you. I need to keep this in mind as I navigate the geo-political landscape that is corporate America.

    Reply
  7. Beth Cochran says

    September 13, 2013 at 11:16 am

    Tremendous post! Somehow it’s comforting to you know you of all people had a fear of…well…people. I would never guess it. I loved the slide about Simon too. That is such a great tip. My dog Piper is the same – warm, bubbly and assumes everyone loves him. They also don’t take things too seriously.

    At any rate, great post and slide deck. Wished I could’ve heard you at #cmworld this year…there were too many good sessions all happening at the same time!

    Thank you for the inspiration! #FollowTheFear!

    Reply
  8. Doug Kessler says

    September 15, 2013 at 6:22 am

    Fantastic talk. For most of my childhood, I was the cocky kid who wanted two turns on the playing field.

    The fear stuff kicked in later, when I opted to stay in my comfort zone (as a freelance copywriter) for way too long.

    It’s funny how airing fears robs them of their power to paralyze…

    THANKS for sharing yours.

    Reply
  9. Rhonda says

    September 15, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    LOVED this. Facing a huge presentation next week and this was exactly the pep talk I needed.

    P.S. Aren’t all kids afraid of old people? 😉

    Reply
  10. Sandra Zimmer says

    December 20, 2014 at 9:33 pm

    Hi Ann

    Thanks for sharing your story of great fear and following your fear, choosing not to opt out of sharing your wisdom. Yours is an important story and post. It was my story, and that of many other talented and sensitive people.

    Because I had so much fear and anxiety about speaking and being seen, I was driven to create a way of transforming it for myself and others. In 1989, I started facilitating people to transform their stage fright and fear of public speaking by guiding them to follow the flow of fear in the body at the center of attention in a supportive group. I learned that when you follow the flow of fear with acceptance, fear turns into a bodily-felt sense of presence and even excitement to share one’s ideas.

    The Zimmer Method eventually became a process for learning to be seen for who you are in front of others. Rather than critiquing speakers for what they are doing wrong, we acknowledge them for who they are and what they do well. It sets them free to speak authentically. The combination of consciously following the flow of fear and positive mirroring helps people relax and become present at the center of attention. Speaking starts to flow from a deep connection to self and so gets easy.

    In my research, it became clear that people who have the most fear of speaking can become the most amazing speakers because they have the feelings. Their feelings are up to the surface where they can be used to create a genuine emotional connection with listeners.

    If your readers are interested, they can learn more at http://www.self-expression.com. My book is “It’s Your Time to Shine” which can be found at amazon.com.

    Thanks for your open-hearted sharing about learning to use your fear for the good. Seems like people are discovering the power of fear as a path to transformation. As Marianne Williamson said, “When you are liberated form your own fear, you automatically give others permission to do the same.” You are giving us permission to be who we authentically are. Bravo!

    Sandra Zimmer
    Self-Expression Center

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Saturday Edition: What we’re writing and reading | Live to Write - Write to Live says:
    September 14, 2013 at 5:56 am

    […] Follow The Fear: Do Things That Scare You by @annhandley – Though Ann wrote this presentation for a business conference, the story and message apply to anyone who has ever felt held back by fear. […]

    Reply
  2. Follow the Fear: My 'Bold Talk' at Hubspot [Video] says:
    February 16, 2014 at 5:41 pm

    […] Here’s the video of my talk, which I also originally wrote up here. […]

    Reply
  3. Follow the Fear: My ‘Bold Talk’ at Hubspot [Video] - Marketing Hypnotism says:
    February 24, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    […] Here’s the video of my talk, which I also originally wrote up here. […]

    Reply
  4. Five minutes and twenty slides: Ignite Chicago and a hard lesson in patienceSharon Steed | Sharon Steed says:
    April 1, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    […] scared me actually helped me to grow. I realize this is not a novel concept because everyone and their bestie has been talking about this for years. For me, though, this is brand new territory. I’m still […]

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    […] of mixing new content and repurposed content into her LinkedIn Publisher posts) recently reimagined a speech published on her blog in 2013 for a LinkedIn Publisher post in […]

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  6. How to Republish, Repurpose and Reinvent Your Content Using LinkedIn Publisher - Sawcial.com says:
    June 15, 2015 at 5:17 am

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  7. How to Republish, Repurpose and Reinvent Your Content Using LinkedIn Publisher | ProminentSocial says:
    June 15, 2015 at 5:21 am

    […] of mixing new content and repurposed content into her LinkedIn Publisher posts) recently reimagined a speech published on her blog in 2013 for a LinkedIn Publisher post in […]

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