The Long and The Short Of It 385. Fear Reminder
Feb 11, 2026
They revisit a question about whether fear is keeping you safe or keeping you stuck. Practical tactics come up, from the five-second rule to using regular practice to test worries. They separate process fears from outcome fears and share everyday examples like auditions and phone calls. The value of naming and sharing fears is emphasized as a way to normalize taking small risks.
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Classroom Moment Recalled Episode One
- Jen described a class of singers where she asked whether fear keeps you safe or stuck.
- The phrase provoked a strong reaction and resurfaced from their very first episode seven years earlier.
Fear Can Mask Itself As Protection
- Fear can masquerade as protection while actually keeping you stuck in life decisions.
- Jen Waldman realized her building worries were fear keeping her stuck, not fear keeping her safe.
Practice Facing Small Fears Regularly
- Practice the things that make you afraid to prove to yourself you survive them.
- Pete Shepard used weekly blog writing as a deliberate practice to show he didn't 'die' after sharing publicly.
