Key takeaways

• Even people with over a billion dollars, like Sir Paul McCartney, have worries and fears.
• Imagine you have a coin and one side of it is fear, the other side is excitement. Our first impulse is to say we don’t want any fear.
• If you eliminate the fear, you eliminate the excitement too.
• Many types of fear give off negative energy, draining motivation and joy. That doesn’t help anyone. But other kinds of fear interject positive energy into our lives.
• New, different, exciting things come with some of this positive fear. If you seek to eliminate fear, you’ll end up living a flat, boring life.
• It’s possible to continue to live an exciting, fun life whether you’re 22 or 92 and beyond. You can ensure your life is never flat and dull when you realize that excitement and fear are two sides of the same coin.

I recently watched an interview with Paul McCartney, who’s now 76 years old. The interviewer said, “You’ve got over a billion dollars, Sir Paul. What are you worried about?” McCartney answered, “I always worry. I worry about everything. As I’m writing my songs, I worry. Everybody worries.” And as I listen to him talking in his British accent, I find I totally agree with him.

I’d like to share a concept with you that I got from Dan Sullivan. Think about it like this. Imagine you have a coin. On one side of the coin is fear. On the other side is excitement. Naturally, we immediately say, “I don’t want any fear.”

But, guess what? If you eliminate the fear, you eliminate the excitement. This isn’t a situation where you can get rid of one side of the coin and simply enjoy the other side. If you want life to continue on in a manner you find exciting, fun, and energizing as you move forward—whether you’re 22, 65, 76, 86, 96—you’ve got to accept both sides. The fear complements the excitement.

The type of fear you have does matter, though. Many types of fear can be very negative and energy-draining. Other kinds of fear can give off a very positive energy. It’s the positive energy of certain fears that, many times, go along with the excitement. Most of us realize we don’t want any negative energy, but we must also recognize that anything exciting that comes our way—something new and different—is going to come with some fear as well.

Sir Paul McCartney is still afraid his songs might not be any good. The guy has 29 number one songs. It’s unbelievable. How can it be that he still experiences fears like this? Because he understands this fundamental truth about life—that fear and excitement make up two sides of the same coin. As you move forward, keep that coin in your pocket, close to you, to remind you that with excitement comes fear. There’s no way around it. If you try to eliminate the fear, you’re setting yourself up for living a flat, boring life. That’s not any fun. Until next time, enjoy.

Gary

Gary Klaben is in our Glenview, IL office and serves our clients who are now located all over the country.  He has over 30 years of experience and is the author of Changing the Conversation, Wealth of Everything and co-author of The Business Battlefield.  Whether advising his clients, mentoring his team, or coaching entrepreneurs, he is always simplifying complexity and motivating others to take the next action that’s right for them.

Learn more about TransformingWealth™ , our proprietary approach, designed to get your arms around the big picture so you can make informed financial decisions. Ask Gary about Coyle’s TransformingWealth Preview Meeting, and schedule a complimentary consultation and start living the Good Life Managed Well™.

www.coylefinancial.com
800-480-7913 | coyle@coylefinancial.com

We value your comments and opinions, but due to regulatory restrictions, we cannot accept comments directly onto our blog.  We welcome your comments via e-mail and look forward to hearing from you.

All information is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty is made to its accuracy or completeness.   This material is being provided for informational or educational purposes only, and does not take into account the investment objectives or financial situation of any client or prospective client.  The information is not intended as investment advice, and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or invest in any particular investment or market segment.  Those seeking information regarding their particular investment needs should contact a financial professional.  Coyle, our employees, or our clients, may or may not be invested in any individual securities or market segments discussed in this material.  The opinions expressed were current as of the date of posting, but are subject to change without notice due to market, political, or economic conditions.