I love what Kary Oberbrunner says about fear in his book Day Job to Dream Job: “Fear shouldn’t enslave you, it should serve you. It acts as a compass, alerting you what to do next.”

Most of the time, I let fear get the best of me and keep me from growing. I exchange my hopes and dreams – what I’d really love to do – for what’s safe. But, after a while, giving into fear gets old.

Recently, I’ve been learning how fear can help me. I don’t have to give in to it. I can, instead, harness it and use it for my good.

You can do the same.

Let me share 3 Ways Fear Can Be Your Friend and you can turn your trepidation into inspiration.

1. Fear can tell you what you care about.

Sometimes, when we want to do something but don’t, it’s because we care. A lot. We need to pay attention to what scares us.

Maybe, for example, you’ve always wanted to ask a certain girl out but keep procrastinating. Or perhaps you want to change jobs and need to make some contacts. But you haven’t called or emailed anyone because you’re afraid of what he’ll say.

When you want to do something big but feel afraid, the matter is likely important to you. Stop putting it off.

Start by…

• Thinking of something you can do now… Nothing will change until you act.
• Telling a friend what you’re going to do and asking him to hold you accountable…
• Teaming up with other people who share your goal…
• Looking for someone who’s succeeded at what you want to do and asking for advice…

2. Fear is an opportunity to embrace awkwardness.

Have you ever had to do something that scared you?

During my junior year of high school, my basketball team played for the section title. The night of the championship game, I sat for four quarters and two overtimes, before Coach called my name.

When he finally put me in, I felt as stiff as a trout on ice. I stumbled to the scorer’s table, listening to the sound of a gym full of screaming fans.

Could my legs still run and jump? I was about to find out.

The whistle blew, and play resumed.

A few seconds in, the opponent was a pass away from a fast-break layup. The last line of defense, I lumbered across midcourt and knocked the ball out of bounds.

A better player would have intercepted it.

Then, minutes later, I got fouled while trying to score. The referee awarded me two free throws.

While my first shot rattled in, the second was off the mark. But I got a hand on the ball and batted it off another player’s foot.

When the last seconds ticked off the clock, my team won, in spite of my clumsy performance. And I survived playing in front of a gym full of people.

I learned that, in the words of my friend Alan, “There’s only one way to get experience.”

Fear is an opportunity to embrace your awkwardness, because when you feel awkward, you’re growing.

3. Use fear to develop a growth plan.

Jonathan Milligan of JonathanMilligan.com uses fear to his advantage. Once a year, he writes three goals that will require him to do what he’s afraid of and further his personal development.

His goals have to be frightening. If they’re comfortable and easily attainable, there not worth pursuing. Only scary goals provide opportunities for improvement.

Leadership and personal growth guru John Maxwell compares people to rubber bands. In his book How Successful People Grow, he says, “Rubber bands are useful only when they’re stretched! That can also be said of us.”

When was the last time you planned stretching exercises and experiences?

The only way to reach your potential is to get out of your comfort zone.

How is fear holding you back? What would you love to do but are not doing because of fear? Can you share a time that you pushed past fear to do something you’re proud of?