Do you ever feel a vague sense of discomfort when you’re about to start a project, write something important, or show new work?

Maybe that feeling of unease isn’t so vague. Maybe it’s very clear and very loud.

What do you do when that happens?

You could try to ignore it and push on.

You could talk to the fear, to figure out exactly where it comes from.

You could focus your attention on where you want to be and how it will feel when you get there.

You could pray, sing show tunes, or conjure up your inner motivator.

Any of those methods can be effective, on any given day.

Emotions—chosen, or running amok
You can choose to let go of the discomfort. Your emotions come from your perceptions of a situation, so technically you have the ability to choose how you respond. You can observe the negative feelings while continuing with your work, unaffected by them.

But sometimes you find yourself temporarily overwhelmed. You become unreasonable, obstinate, or downright paralyzed.

It’s entirely possible you will experience all of these states, from neutrality to near panic, in rapid succession. Sometimes none of your usual coping strategies will work.

Try something completely different
What about curiosity?

You know that irresistible sensation. You’re immersed in a thrilling book. You race through to see how it ends (or your feet turn to clay and you sneak a peek at the last page). You’re on the edge of your seat at the movie theatre, trying to guess what’s about to happen.

When fear comes calling, when you find yourself buried under the what ifs of dread and nothing else works, let your natural sense of wonder pull you forward. That unquenchable human quality—curiosity—can drown out the noise in your head and shove fear to the sidelines. You move forward because you have to know what happens next.

If you want to make discoveries, venture out of your hiding place and look under the stones. If you want to know what lies on the road ahead, all you need to do is take the walk.