If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough. — Tory Burch

If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough.

Author: Tory Burch

Insight: That flutter in your stomach when you consider a real goal? That's not a warning sign—it might actually be proof you're onto something worth doing. Most of us mistake fear for a red light when it's often just the feeling of stepping beyond what's familiar and safe. The things that genuinely excite us tend to live just past the edge of our confidence. Here's what gets overlooked though: not all fear is created equal. You can be terrified of something that's genuinely too risky or wrong for you, and that's different from the specific nervousness that comes with ambition. The key is learning which kind of scare you're experiencing. If you're dreaming something that makes you nervous because you've never done it before, because you might fail, or because it requires you to grow—that's the useful kind. It means you've identified something that actually matters to you. The trap is aiming too small just to feel comfortable. We convince ourselves that realistic goals are virtuous, when sometimes they're just safe. If your dream doesn't create at least some honest anxiety about whether you can pull it off, it might be worth asking yourself: am I aiming at what I actually want, or just what I already know I can reach?