Albert Camus: Get Scared. It Will Do You Good

When I stay scared, I stay awake.

Photo by Aaron Birch on Unsplash

I’ve been scared for more than a decade. I’ve lived with the kind of fear that makes me come alive. I took control of my life when I turned down what seemed like the job offer of a lifetime. The good news? I’ve never felt more alive. But it’s not without the uncertainty or fear of the unknown.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Existential philosopher Albert Camus said something that redefined my reality of being “scared.” He said, “Get scared. It will do you good. …stare blankly at some ceilings, beat your head against some walls, refuse to see some people, paint and write. Get scared some more. Allow your little mind to do nothing but function. Stay inside, go out — I don’t care what you’ll do; but stay scared as hell. You will never be able to experience everything. So, please, do poetical justice to your soul and simply experience yourself.”

I’m experiencing myself.

I’m fully aware of what could go wrong, but I would rather try to truly live than live with the regret of not making a “meaningful” life work.

So when Camus says, “Get scared. It will do you good,” he is right. It’s the uncomfortable truth, but it’s the path to awakening all of yourself.