What fear has held you back the most in your life?

Fear is something we all carry, though it shows up differently for each of us. It can keep us safe, but it can also hold us back from opportunities, relationships, and growth. We asked some brilliant members of the community to share the one fear that has shaped their choices the most—and their answers reveal just how universal, yet deeply personal, our struggles with fear really are.

Hannah Tringham

The fear that’s held me back the most is self-doubt—the constant loop of “I’m not good enough, I’m not ready, I don’t have what it takes.” It kept me playing small for years, especially when it came to starting my own design studio. Walking away from a steady job and building a business on my own, with no financial safety net, was terrifying. Read more>>

Laura Espinoza

The fear that’s held me back the most has always been the fear of failure. I know I’m not alone in that—many of us carry it. But I’ve come to realize that with age, that fear begins to lose its grip. You start to see it differently, and eventually, it stops holding you hostage. Read more>>

Lauren Naomi

This is definitely one of the most vulnerable interviews I’ve done. I definitely would say that it has was my fear of being seen. I think throughout my life I’ve come into myself and its consistently required me to step forward, use my voice and be okay with taking up space. Read more>>

Natasha Duval

The fear of failure but most importantly the fear of truly being seen. I will say that the fear of truly being seen was an overarching fear that I was never able to put into words. It was mostly not allowing my full self to be expressed because of outside voices. Read more>>