Stop playing-it-safe and start living | Patricia Zurita | TEDxGunnHighSchool | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Learn how to navigate fear-based emotions and overcome the urge to constantly play it safe in order to live a fulfilling life.

Key Insights

• 🥺 Fear-based emotions are a natural part of being human, but they can lead to anxiety and discomfort.
• 😨 Playing it safe moves can be effective in managing fears, but excessive reliance on them can hinder personal growth.
• 🤯 It is important to watch our minds, identify when we are playing it safe, and question the long-term consequences of our actions.
• 😟 Overcoming fear-based emotions involves learning to do what matters while feeling anxious, worried, and afraid.
• 🥶 Breaking free from playing it safe requires self-awareness, acceptance, and aligning actions with personal values.
• 😨 Blindly following fear-based thoughts can prevent us from taking risks and pursuing what truly matters to us.
• 😨 Recognizing the limitations of our minds and choosing how we respond to fearful thoughts empowers us to overcome fear-based emotions.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What are some common fear-based emotions that people struggle with?

People often struggle with fears such as making mistakes, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of not being good enough. These fears can manifest in various aspects of life.

Q: How do fear-based emotions affect our decision-making?

Fear-based emotions can cause us to overthink, second-guess ourselves, and play it safe. This can lead to indecisiveness, missed opportunities, and a lack of fulfillment.

Q: What are some examples of playing it safe moves?

Some examples include overpreparing, seeking certainty, criticizing oneself, worrying excessively, ignoring personal needs, and questioning one's capabilities.

Q: How can we break free from playing it safe and overcome fear-based emotions?

We can start by watching our minds and becoming aware of when our Advisory Board (our thoughts) urges us to play it safe. Radically accepting that our minds will always try to protect us is the next step. Finally, identifying the long-term consequences of blindly following our Advisory Board's advice and aligning our actions with our personal values can help us overcome fear-based emotions.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The author shares their personal experience of searching for the ideal coffee maker, highlighting the anxiety and overthinking involved in making a decision.

• Playing it safe moves, such as overpreparing and overanalyzing, can be effective in managing anxieties, but if done excessively, they can have negative consequences.

• The solution is not to stop feeling afraid, but to learn to do what matters while feeling anxious, worried, and afraid.