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One of my favorite movies is former teen queen Hilary Duff’s The Cinderella Story. In the movie, there is a quote that liberated her character from her wicked stepmother and stepsisters.
The quote states, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
Yet many people let their fears stop them from pursuing their dreams. Their fear of failure. Their fear of not having the skill to succeed.

If Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron had let the fear of strikeouts keep them in the dugout, they wouldn’t have been home run kings. The Bambino and Hammerin’ Hank struck out more than they hit home runs, and they still are considered the greatest hitters of their time.
It’s a good thing they didn’t develop a fear for striking out, which would have kept them from ever swinging the bat.
The fear of striking out can be carried over into life, where we fear stepping into a new relationship, starting a business or leaving a stable, but unfulfilling job for a new career.
The Bible says that God does not give people a spirit of fear. Instead, He has given them a spirit of love, power and a sound mind, and He has instructed his followers to only fear Him.
I’ve always been one to challenge my fears.
I stepped out of a good-paying, stable journalism career to be a school teacher, and it gave me a chance to start a regional teen newspaper and web site and promote new movies.
Then, I stepped out into health insurance sales with no training and no commission for more than a month and quickly became one of the top producers in the company.
And then, I moved over to Medicare sales with no training and no pay for four months, but I was eventually paid what many people make in a year, and then I became the No. 1 producer for the company to make nearly six figures the following year.
Now, I’ve stepped out again to another type of insurance and another industry all together, and I have no fear because I have a history of stepping to the plate, striking out and eventually becoming a home run hitter.
So if you’ve been afraid to step out to work for yourself or to try a new career, I’m living proof that you will strike out a few times, but if you keep stepping up to the plate, you’ll eventually hit a lot out of the park and you will be so glad you didn’t let fear stop you.
You’re welcome to look into my newest opportunity to see if it’s for you, and I would be happy to be your teammate and help you conquer your fear.

By Teneshia LaFaye

I recently wrote a book with my teenage son to put high school students and college students on the right financial track. In our book, What My Mom Taught Me About Money, teens and young adults learn about checking accounts, credit scores, credit cards, cash advances, investing and more. Preview or buy What My Mom Taught Me About Money here. The book also is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

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