We may believe that anxiety and fear don't concern us because we avoid experiencing them. We may keep the scope of our lives narrow and familiar, opting for sameness and safety. We may not even know that we are scared of success, failure, rejection, criticism, conflict, competition, intimacy, or adventure, because we rarely test the limits of our competence and creativity. We avoid anxiety by avoiding risk and change. Our challenge: To be willing to become more anxious, via embracing new situations and stepping more fully into our lives. Harriet Lerner
About This Quote

The quote above, ‘We may believe that anxiety and fear don't concern us because we avoid experiencing them’, says that people tend to avoid anxiety by avoiding risk. They are scared of the unknown. When they are scared, they do not test their limits. They do not get down and dirty.

They stay in their comfort zone. This is what the quote is saying about anxiety. The fact that people avoid anxiety by avoiding risk is very true because if people did not avoid risk they would be more anxious.

If they did not avoid risk, they would have to face their fears and be less afraid of them. Everyone has to face their fears at some point in their life whether it be through an exam or a job interview or anything else that scares them. By facing your fears you are overcoming your anxieties by being brave enough to go forward with them.

Source: The Dance Of Fear: Rising Above Anxiety, Fear, And Shame To Be Your Best And Bravest Self

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