Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

Hey everyone, welcome to this week’s Feel Better Letter (FBL).

This is Matt.

And today, I want to talk about the fact that just because something is scary, that doesn’t mean it’s a good reason not to do it.

So before diving in, I just want to let everyone know that I’ve opened up a few one-on-one coaching spots for the month of April.

We’re taking applications, and if you’re listening to this today, it’s actually the last day to apply.

We’ll go through the applications and get back to you with next steps.

So moving back into today’s topic…

When it comes to fear, just because something feels scary doesn’t mean it’s a reason not to do it.

One of the things I’ve learned about fear—I consider myself a student of fear and a student of consciousness—is that fear always presents itself as logical or reasonable.

That’s the trick of it.

Until you learn to discern the state or the energy you’re operating from, everything can look reasonable.

You assume that because your mind says it, it must be rational.

But what you have to understand is that when you’re in fear, things look rational.

I was talking to a client this week about a show I really like called Better Call Saul, which is a spinoff of Breaking Bad.

In the show, one of the characters, in my opinion, is clearly dealing with OCD, even though they never say it directly.

And you watch how fear slowly deteriorates his life.

There’s a moment in the show that really stood out to me.

He’s sitting there, and it becomes clear that what he believes is causing his fear isn’t actually real.

And he looks at the doctor—this is someone who’s a lawyer, considered intelligent—and he says something along the lines of:

“When I look at this, it feels as real as this chair I’m sitting on.”

And then he pauses and says, “But what if it’s not? And if that’s true… what have I done?”

I remember watching that and really connecting to that feeling.

Looking back at the amount of time I had given to fear.

Because every moment we have in life is something we either invest or give away.

And I’ve given a lot of my life to fear.

I’ve let it dictate how I live.

I’ve let it sit in the driver’s seat.

And there came a point where I reached a place of “enough is enough.”

I talked about the tipping point in a previous FBL—that moment where the pain of getting better becomes less than the pain of staying where you are.

And when that happens, you’re often forced into change.

The reality is, getting better is scary.

Confronting fear is scary.

Investing in help is scary.

Doing anything outside of the routines that fear has built is going to feel scary.

That’s just the truth.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a good reason not to do it.

It might be the reason you’re using—but it’s not a good one.

Think about the things fear has stopped you from doing.

Look back and ask yourself honestly—are you glad you listened to it?

Did it lead to better outcomes?

Or did you miss out?

Did you not go on the trip because you were afraid to fly?

Did you not ask someone out because you were afraid of how you’d look?

Did you avoid the opportunity, the move, the job, the risk?

It shows up in all the small ways.

And when you zoom out and look at your life, you have to ask:

When I get to the end of my life, am I going to wish I lived from fear more?

And for me, the answer is clear.

I’m going to regret the times I did.

The times I let fear make the decisions.

So just because you feel fear about something doesn’t mean it’s a valid reason not to do it.

It’s just the reason you’re currently using.

And instead of accepting it as truth, challenge it.

There has to be a decision internally to not let fear run the show anymore.

Recovery begins with a decision.

And the implementation of that decision is ongoing.

It’s not some destination you reach in the future.

It’s a choice you make in the present moment, every single day.

So with that, I just wanted to share these thoughts.

I hope this is helpful.

And like I said, if this resonates with you and you feel aligned with working together, I do have some one-on-one spots opening up.

If you’re interested, feel free to apply.

With that, talk to you soon.