#5 Why Are You Afraid of Trying?

Have you ever found yourself constantly worrying about what others think?

Wondering whether you're good enough?

Delaying something important because you're afraid of making a mistake?

What if your procrastination isn't just about laziness?

What if stepping out of that comfort zone is easier than you think?

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, there may be more to the story.

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In TCM, each of the Five Yin organs is associated with both an emotion and an aspect of consciousness known as the Five Spirits (五神).

◠ Liver → [Anger] → Ethereal Soul: Hun (魂)
◠ Heart →[Joy] → Spirit: Shen (神)
◠ Spleen → [Thought & Reflection] →Intention: Yi (意)
◠ Lung →[Grief] →Corporeal Soul: Po (魄)
◠ Kidney →[Fear]→Willpower:Zhi (志)

Together, these five aspects represent the integration of body, mind, and spirit.

We often hear that emotions affect the body. In TCM, the opposite is also true: the state of the body can influence our emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and even the choices we make.

◠ Liver: frustration and decision-making

◠ Heart: clarity and mental focus

◠ Spleen: thinking and turning ideas into action (that’s why overthinking is so deadly for your digestion)

◠ Lung: grief and letting go

◠ Kidney: fear and willpower

In TCM, the Kidneys are associated with Zhi (志), our willpower and capacity to move forward despite uncertainty. When Kidney energy is depleted, people may become hesitant, avoid challenges, or struggle to trust themselves.

The Spleen governs Yi (意), our ability to think, organize, and turn ideas into action. When the Spleen is weakened, thoughts can become excessive and circular. You know exactly what you should do, but somehow can't get started.

The Liver and Gallbladder help us make decisions and move forward. When Liver Qi becomes stagnant, people may feel frustrated, emotionally stuck, irritable, or indecisive.

And then there's the Heart.

The Heart houses the Shen (神), often translated as Spirit or Mind. A strong Shen gives us clarity, presence, and focus. When Shen is disturbed, we may experience brain fog, poor concentration, restless sleep, anxiety, or difficulty staying on task.

This is why improving health often creates unexpected changes in mindset. As the body becomes stronger and more balanced, we often become more willing to take action. Of course, behaviour matters too. Sometimes we need to ‘trick’ our body into believing that we are capable of doing/achieving.

Healing may means supporting the body through rest, nourishment using acupuncture or herb.

Sometimes healing means taking the first small step despite the fear, and start to encourage your body to move despite tiredness.

Both are equally as important.

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🪻( ´͈ ᗜ `͈ )♡ Michelle's yapping time:

I used to be terrified of trying things that other people might see and potentially judge. Sharing my thoughts. Creating something imperfect. Most of the time, the idea never even made it past the planning stage. I would think about it, research it, prepare for it, and somehow convince myself that I wasn't quite ready yet.

For a long time, I called myself a perfectionist.

But I've started to wonder whether perfectionism is really a personality trait at all.

Perhaps perfectionism isn't actually about having impossibly high standards. Perhaps it's a form of self-protection.

When we label ourselves as "perfectionists," we often give ourselves permission not to begin until everything feels ready. In doing so, we protect ourselves from the possibility of failure, criticism, embarrassment, or rejection.It's simply fear wearing a more sophisticated disguise.

After all, if we never start, we never have to find out whether we might fail.

Perfectionism can feel productive because we're constantly planning, researching, refining, and preparing. Having more input than output.

The pursuit of perfection keeps us safe. Unfortunately, it can also keep us stuck.

One day, I asked myself a different question:

What would Michelle from five years ago would hope to see me doing today?

Not what I had achieved. Not what I owned. Not how successful I looked.

Simply, what would make her proud that I at least had the courage to try?

The older I get, the more I realize how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. If you zoomed out far enough, our entire lives would barely be visible. Most people are far too busy worrying about their own struggles, goals, insecurities, and dreams to spend much time judging ours.

We spend so much time worrying about being judged that we forget most people are busy judging themselves.

And even if they do, so what?

The person who will feel the weight of the opportunities not taken is rarely anyone else. It's usually ourselves.

So perhaps we should learn to encourage ourselves the same way we would encourage a child. Not because success is guaranteed. Not because failure won't happen. Some dreams don't need guarantees. They just need a chance to exist.

So let me ask you this:

If failure wasn't possible, what would you choose to do today?

What would the version of you from five years ago hope you'd finally be brave enough to start?

Maybe the first step is smaller than you think. Maybe the dream isn't as impossible as you imagined.

Keep this in mind:

We don’t start because we’re great. We become great because we start.

Every person you admire was once inexperienced, uncertain, and unqualified. The difference wasn’t that they were ready. The difference was that they were willing to begin.

The first post is awkward.

The first video is uncomfortable.

The first run is slow.

The first treatment feels uncertain.

The first step is rarely impressive. But every version of mastery begins with a version that nobody sees.

So don’t wait until you’re confident enough. Don’t wait until you’re skilled enough. Don’t wait until you’re certain enough.

Start before you’re ready.