If you struggle with fear of the unknown, you are not alone

Fear of the unknown is right up there with people’s top fears. When you don’t know what is going to happen next, it is very scary. Certain people and certain personalities struggle far more with the fear of the unknown than others.

Today was my believer baptism at my church, Downtown Mission Church (DMC)

Baptised as a baby, confirmed as a 14-year-old, and confessed my faith in Jesus as my Savior, I recommitted my faith many times throughout my life. Although I can’t pinpoint a time when I first became a Christian, I know it began with my mom who lived her faith daily.

I chose to join DMC as a member and because it is a Baptist organization, they encourage believer baptisms. This means they only baptise adults. I told Pastor Charlie how scary things like being in public and in unknown situations are for me. In addition, I am not in the shape I want (that means I need to lose weight — yes, I just told you that.)

The idea of being vulnerable in public is hard

Pastor Charlie invited me to further discuss it at coffee with him a few weeks ago. I explained to him that as an introvert, the idea of putting myself out there is a huge fear of the unknown. We had a great chat and I decided to swallow my fears to go forward with baptism.

To begin to work on my weight, I asked a fellow church member, Kim, with a fitness background if she would be willing to coach me and hold me accountable. She saw it as an opportunity for me to mentor her. We started walking together and with her help and Heide, my dog trainer’s help, I logged 94,000 steps this week or 35.65 Miles this past week. I plan to keep going.

DMC with all of its differences from other churches feels more like home than any church in my 60+ years on this earth. The church is a family and I do feel part of it. The Come as you Are Marquee (we meet in an old movie theater) and the Band make it different from other churches. Pastor Charlie’s sermons convicted me from the first time I heard him.

My baptism today was in a trough in the church

I worked myself into a frenzy before I made the decision to be baptised and again today. Today started with a nosebleed when I got up. By the time I got to church, my heart was beating so hard I thought I would pass out. I wanted to bolt.

I should have brought my towel in when we came to church. Alas, I think I was already looking for ways to back out and left it in the car. My fear of the unknown was taking over by then.

I didn’t bolt though. I went to find friends and tell them I was terrified. As I talked to Julie, Jess, and Mabel, I felt better. When the turn and greet your neighbor happened, I found myself telling my fears to Sara, who was in front of me but doesn’t know me well. She shared her baptism experience, which was 3 years ago and on her birthday. I felt calmer.

About that trough, think horse trough. It was half full and the water wasn’t warm. When it was my turn, I told the congregation where my belief comes from and why this experience was hard for me. Pastor Charlie asked me the commitment questions and I went forward to be immersed.

After I got out, I expected my husband to get my towel from the car when I was in the front waiting but he forgot.

I was wet and cold. If anything this made things a bit harder. Someone else handed me the first towel and Kim brought another. Bill, my husband? He finally showed up later.

What does fear of the unknown have to do with job search?

Everything! Every job seeker I know struggles with fear of the unknown. Not every job seeker is an introvert like I am but they still struggle. When I work with job seekers, I understand those fears. I can put myself in your shoes. This allows me to coach to where you are and help you overcome your fears.

Yes, I write resumes but I help you as a job seeker to overcome obstacles that keep you from winning. A great resume is a good start but if you don’t know how to do job search or you are just scared, you need a partner in your job search.

Now you know my fears, you also know the steps I took to overcome them.

• Honest about fear. I was honest and told Pastor Charlie I was scared. We talked it out.
• Ask for help. I asked for help from friends.
• Go forward. Even though I wanted to run away, I didn’t.
• Accept that there will be pitfalls. The lack of towel made me feel like my husband abandoned me but others stepped up to help.

If you struggle with your own fears of the unknown and would like a guide, let’s talk. I coached thousands of job seekers to success and career happiness while creating their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and other job search tools.