I’m Terrified and, It’s Awesome
My brother and I went out for lunch this week, and it was the best time I’ve had hanging out with him in years. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy spending time with my brother. But what made this time different was how he answered a simple question.
I asked my standard, “How’s it going?” and his answer took me by complete surprise.
"I'm terrified," he said, then added, "and it's awesome."
My brother is one of my favorite people in the world. Over the years, we’ve drifted apart and then back together. At times when there weren’t many people I could count on, Ken was there—unassuming, kind, and supportive. He’s never been one to give advice, but he always shows up. He has a gift for simply being.
He’s a wonderful person.
Where I’ve been ambitious, focused, and driven, my brother has been calm, present, and content. I’ve admired his ability to just be while I’ve spent years burning both ends of every candle I could hold, battling my own self-imposed anxiety. Remember—I am a recovering Insecure Overachiever.
But in recent years, I’ve seen cracks in his calm. While he’s grown into a successful role within our family business, his identity and personal ambition have started pulling him in a different direction. His typically cool and collected demeanour has been replaced by something I recognize—a desire for more. A desire for growth and change.
But at 35 years old, with a family to support, a mortgage to pay, and a lifestyle to maintain… is change really possible? And what’s more—is it even responsible? Is it worth the risk?
Ken has never been one to chase change. It’s not his vibe to try new things, and he’s not alone. As we age, we all tend to avoid activities where we feel incompetent or new. There’s far less friction in sticking with the status quo.
But now, he’s doing it.
Over lunch, Ken told me about the journey he started earlier this year to take on a six-month training program to become a firefighter. It involves rigorous tests—tying complex knots under observation and time pressure, enduring a physical assessment that pushes candidates to the brink of passing out, and carrying 250-pound weights up two and three-story ladders.
Ken is in good, not great, shape. Because of his relaxed attitude toward life, he hasn’t faced much adversity. This program will push both his body and spirit to the limit. He told me he’s battling imposter syndrome and, for the first time in as long as he can remember, he’s the least knowledgeable person in the room.
It’s terrifying. And he’s LOVING IT.
This kind of change takes real courage—the courage to face fear, embrace it, and lean into it.
Ken has been in a comfortable place, working in the family business—a reliable, consistent job (and one he’s really good at). But if you asked whether it was something he felt called to do, he’d likely shrug or change the subject. Now, even though he doesn’t know exactly where this journey will lead, each day on this path deepens his sense that he’s right where he’s supposed to be.
His work is aligned with his purpose, and for the first time in a long time, he is ON FIRE—pun absolutely intended (I had to).
If you’re considering making a change that pushes you outside your comfort zone—one that lands you squarely in the zone of incompetence—DO IT. None of us know exactly where life will take us, but when we’re on a path aligned with our purpose, the journey becomes so much more worthwhile.
And, if Ken can do it, you can too.
You might feel terrified. But take it from my brother—"It's awesome."
“I don’t know where I’m going. But, I know exactly how I’m going to get there.”