{"id":1879,"date":"2019-01-28T20:16:06","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T03:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2019-01-28T20:16:16","modified_gmt":"2019-01-29T03:16:16","slug":"punching-fear-in-the-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/punching-fear-in-the-face\/","title":{"rendered":"Punching Fear in the Face"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"et_pb_slider et_pb_slider_fullwidth_off et_pb_gallery_post_type\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_slides\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_slide\" style=\"background: url(https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_1347.jpg);\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I was walking into the building as fear gripped me like it often has. In that moment of panic, deep within my soul, I heard this phrase . . . \u201cBe strong and courageous.\u201d If you\u2019ve read the Bible you might recognize that as as scripture from the book of Joshua, Chapter 1, verse 9. That phrase has come up at significant times in my life over the last couple of years. In that moment as I reflected on that scripture, I rehearsed that passage in my head. That particular phrase is actually repeated three times in the matter of a few verses. The first time it says, \u201cbe strong and courageous.\u201d The next two times, it says \u201cBe strong and <strong>very<\/strong> courageous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That afternoon I was walking into this meeting knowing that I was about to have a conversation about a risky move. That simple word was my reminder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to that meeting and since, I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about fear. Fear does a lot of things, but one of the primary things it does is that it cripples us. That\u2019s what it does ... its primary job ... is to shut us down. Looking back over the last few years and significant moments throughout it, I wonder what life would have looked like had I not been limited by fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019d like to figure out how to live life apart from fear. Wouldn\u2019t life be much easier if we could find a way to somehow magically eradicate fear from the scene whenever it appeared? While I would like to think that this was possible, I\u2019ve come to the conclusion that I don\u2019t think it is. Fear is a apart of this world in which we live. So ... if we can\u2019t eliminate fear, we have to figure out how to not be crippled by it. I\u2019ve heard it said before as it relates to fear ... \u201cthen do it afraid.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that day I walked into that meeting and quit my job. Even seeing those words on the screen makes my heart skip a beat ... or two. While that seems drastic ... irrational ... even stupid ... this is something I\u2019be been thinking about for some time. It was several months of pondering ... of praying ... of asking questions. In the weeks leading up to that day, it was becoming clearer and clearer ... and this was the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In that meeting, I was given some \u201csafer options\u201d to the radical decision of being completely jobless. Throughout that conversation, I keep hearing that phrase, \u201cbe strong and courageous\u201d ... \u201cbe brave.\u201d I actually had the visual picture in my mind of stepping out of a boat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stepping out of a boat while in the middle of any body of water isn\u2019t likely to end well. You\u2019re likely to get wet ... even sink. That\u2019s the point of stepping out of the boat ... it\u2019s not safe ... it\u2019s risky ... and you have to be brave. And that\u2019s what I was hearing. Don\u2019t take the safe route that\u2019s being offered to you. Be brave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s my phrase for 2019 ... \u201cBe Brave.\u201d When faced with fear ... that feeling that causes me to want to go throw up in my trash can or jump and run ... I want to respond with bravery ... not fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What would your year look like if you faced fear head on and embraced a life of bravery? What does bravery look like for you?<\/strong><br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was walking into the building as fear gripped me like it often has. In that moment of panic, deep within my soul, I heard this phrase . . . \u201cBe strong and courageous.\u201d If you\u2019ve read the Bible you might recognize that as as scripture from the book of Joshua, Chapter 1, verse 9. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"What would your year look like if you faced fear head on and embraced a life of bravery? What does bravery look like for you? Let\u2019s punch fear in the face.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-main"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pzg9k-uj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1093,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/let-them-do-it-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":0},"title":"Let Them Do It Wrong","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"February 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I just sat down in the chair with my MacBook on my lap to do my nightly installment of homework. I'm nearly finished with a two-year process of earning my master's degree so this is my typical evening agenda. However, I sometimes get a slow start as I'll begin by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1378,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/ski-slopes-snow-days-and-facing-fear\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":1},"title":"Ski Slopes, Snow Days, and Facing Fear","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"March 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This week my family took a \u201csnow day.\u201d It wasn\u2019t because the weather was bad, and we couldn\u2019t get out the driveway. My niece was visiting from Indiana over her college spring break. So what does every midwesterner do when they visit Colorado in the winter? They go skiing, of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1033,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/really-im-out-of-control\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":2},"title":"Really . . . I&#8217;m Out of Control","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I've often thought about it and wondered . . . what really is faith? I hear it used in so many different ways in today's culture. Yet, the Bible is pretty clear about what it is . . . it's the \"confidence in what we hope for\u00a0and assurance about what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":209803,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/no-more-shrinking-from-success-spread-your-wings-and-fly\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":3},"title":"No More Shrinking from Success \u2014 Spread Your Wings and Fly","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"December 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThere\u2019s something I haven\u2019t told you,\u201d said the horse. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?,\u201d said the boy? \u201cI can fly, but I stopped because it made other horses jealous.\u201d (The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse, C. Mackey) Hiding. We\u2019ve all done it. Our reasons are vast, but the damage is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a buzzard with spread wings","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pexels-photo-19253843.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pexels-photo-19253843.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pexels-photo-19253843.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pexels-photo-19253843.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pexels-photo-19253843.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":211534,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/how-to-pick-the-right-people-for-your-culture-carrier-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":4},"title":"How to Pick the Right People for Your Culture Carrier Team","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"To build a strong Culture Carrier Team, leaders must select individuals who embody the desired culture, focusing on those with high influence and integrity, regardless of their titles. Diversity in backgrounds is essential, as is fostering a proactive environment. Engage potential carriers in meaningful conversations about culture to ensure genuine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/create-a-featured-image-depicting-a-diverse-group-of-professionals-1.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/create-a-featured-image-depicting-a-diverse-group-of-professionals-1.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/create-a-featured-image-depicting-a-diverse-group-of-professionals-1.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/create-a-featured-image-depicting-a-diverse-group-of-professionals-1.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2104,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/work-and-life-free-of-lanes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":5},"title":"Work and Life Free of Lanes","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the years I\u2019ve heard the phrase \u201cstay in your lane\u201d a few times. The first time was as I first sitting in the driver\u2019s seat of my dad\u2019s truck as he was teaching me to drive. More recently, I\u2019ve heard it said when I\u2019ve taught my daughters to drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1879"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1885,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions\/1885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}