Why Are We So Afraid?

I shared recently the responses received from entrepreneurs to the question what’s stopping you? It was no surprise when the responses were summarized, they boiled down to Fear. People are afraid to step out. They are afraid of failure and of what other people may say.

Celebrity Adrienne Bailon of The Real, and The Cheetah Girls movie, when asked why she was not singing confessed that she was scared. She was afraid. She questioned herself “what if people don’t like it?” What if her music is not accepted? She went on for awhile talking about her fears.  We gasp because we cannot fathom someone at that level who has enjoyed success over time to still be afraid.

As we Knit together the various facets of our lives we often feel like an underdog in different areas. We may be successful at one area and feel afraid to step out in another.

If you are like Adrienne, I implore you to take that Percussive step. What if you fail? To that I say….at least you tried. Also I suggest that we stop taking life so seriously. Do some things just for the love of it! Just for fun! When we adopt that kind of thinking, we find that we often succeed and find ourselves able to soar, to achieve great things.

So today if you are afraid, take the step to try something new. Who knows, you may surprise yourself.

Ready to get your goals in order? Lets connect!

Cheers!

Author: Dr. Shelly

Dr. Shelly Cameron is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and author of 12 nonfiction books, including The GreenLight Factor and Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders. She is the creator of the GreenLight Leadership Framework and founder of Global Coaching Corner. She leads the Ignite Caribbean 30 Under 30 Emerging Leaders program. Drawing on over 20 years of global HR leadership experience, she's passionate about helping professionals navigate change and design fulfilling lives through intentional goal setting and self-discovery. Her research was published in the JAABC Business Journal, and she was a featured author for the 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival's 250th celebration. 🎉 A thank-you: SuccessfulLeaders.net just crossed 100,000 views! Grateful for every reader who's made this milestone possible. View all posts by Dr. Shelly