Fear is a powerful thing.
It can be all-consuming and overwhelming. Fear can play a role in our behavioral choices, habits, and decision-making. In many cases, fear is the very thing that stops us in our tracks, preventing progress and growth.
In my recent blog post, What Are You Afraid Of? I unpack the power of fear and outline some common fears that frequently hold us back.
One of these fears is INSIGNIFICANCE.
The fear of insignificance is the concern that you won’t have the skillset or abilities to adequately and successfully fulfill the duties of a particular role and/or the fear that your hard work and effort won’t pay off.
To put it simply, it’s the fear of not being “enough.”
Most of us have had at least one (if not MANY) moment in our lives where we’ve struggled with feeling insignificant. It’s a common human experience and unfortunately one that can leave a substantial (and often negative) impact on our psyche.
If you aren’t careful, these moments can turn into a persistent and overwhelming fear that affects your day-to-day life and work before you even realize it’s happening.
Where does the fear of insignificance come from?
One word: COMPARISON.
We create our definitions of “significance” based on the examples we see from other people. This applies to all facets of life.
Think about it…
If I were to ask you to define “SUCCESS” or “BEAUTY” for example, specific people that you consider to be “successful” or “beautiful” would likely pop into your head. The same is true if I ask you to describe the perfect home. You probably could show me photos of homes that you admire. Maybe you even have a Pinterest board dedicated to the subject.
See what I mean?
We often measure our own significance based on how we stack up against other people or things we consider to be “significant.”
Although dealing with feelings of insignificance is not a new phenomenon (I imagine people having struggled with comparison since the beginning of time) it certainly has become an increasingly widespread and persistent fear with the creation of social media.
Ah yes, social media…comparison at the tip of our fingers.
Instead of measuring ourselves simply against friends, family members, or maybe coworkers, we now have literally the entire world to compare ourselves to. Never before has it been so easy to see the apparent “success” of other people or organizations.
Talk about pressure!
If the fear of insecurity was just a tiny spark burning inside of you, adding Instagram into the mix is like pouring gasoline on a flame. Hello, bonfire!
It’s no wonder we struggle with this.
Addressing the fear of insignificance is essential if you want to make any true progress in your life. In addition to hindering your momentum when it comes to goal achievement, when left unchecked, this fear can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
So, what can you do?
REDEFINE your significance.
Take some time to reflect on your definition of success. Instead of allowing the world or your social media feed to define success for you, put it in your own words.
- What do you consider to be “significant?”
- Whose opinions will you listen to?
- What words or phrases will you use to affirm yourself when doubts or insecurities pop up?
Ready to learn more about other fears that might be getting in the way of your growth?
Each of the blog posts this month will be highlighting a different common fear and the ways they affect our lives. Click HERE to receive updates on all future blog posts so you don’t miss any of this great information!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
