I never thought one question could change the way I look at life. I had been journaling on and off for years—sometimes to clear my head, sometimes just to dump random thoughts. But one night, when I was feeling stuck and restless, I wrote down a prompt I had seen somewhere:
“What would I do if I wasn’t afraid of failing?”
At first, it felt like nothing special. Just another question. But then I stared at it, and it felt heavy. My pen stayed still. My mind started replaying all the moments I had held myself back—things I wanted to try but didn’t, conversations I wanted to have but avoided, dreams I quietly pushed aside because I was scared they wouldn’t work out.
That night, I wrote down answers I wasn’t ready to admit to myself before. It wasn’t neat or inspiring; some of it was messy and even embarrassing. But for the first time, I could see how much fear of failure was running the show. I realized I wasn’t living by choice—I was living by fear.
The funny part is, nothing changed overnight. I didn’t suddenly become bold or fearless. But in the days that followed, I caught myself choosing differently in small ways. I spoke up when I would’ve stayed quiet. I wrote goals in my notebook without immediately shrinking them down. I started saying yes to things that scared me, even in tiny doses.
Now, whenever I feel stuck, I return to that same question. It’s become my checkpoint, my reminder that fear shouldn’t be driving the car. And the best part? You don’t need a perfect plan to answer it. Just write down the first honest thoughts that come up. That’s where the real shift begins.
If you’ve been circling the same thoughts for too long, try it tonight. Take a page, write down: “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid of failing?” Sit with it, no rush. Let the answers come out, messy or clear. You might just find a part of yourself you’ve been ignoring for years.
