This week’s guest blog post comes from my dear friend and soul sister, Christine Conforti. From the moment I met Christine, I was entranced by her free spirit, brilliant mind, and unabashed thirst for life. Christine left the traditional “9-5” job in the States behind to take a job at the U.N. in Brazil. Since then, she has moved around the world, started her own business, and left fear in her dust. Enjoy her article on how to push through fear to get the life you want and deserve.

“This idea is either crazy, or BRILLIANT.”

I sit in my boss’s stuffy office, one part excited and two parts terrified. I take a deep breath and continue to reveal my masterful plan, unsure if I’m about to get myself fired or succeed in making the sweetest deal of my young professional life.

“I should lead our project in Brazil. Send me instead of hiring out.”
Long pause. Radio silence.

This UN intern turned global consultant had little experience or credentials to lean on. She was, however, a HUGE value to the team– a truth that amplified her natural courage, drive and desire to get what she wanted.

Fast forward 1-month, a bout of office politics, roommate moving drama and a red-eye flight: I land in São Paulo with a Portuguese grammar book and a thirst for a challenge. This moment would start my 9-month remote-work stint, basking in Brazilian culture while my colleagues slaved away in our grey NYC office.

Had this been done before? No.

Would my coworkers be jealous? Most likely.

Would I risk losing this impressive-yet-unfulfilling job? Quite possibly.

I look back at this turning point of life– the birth of my travel journey– and wonder: how did I bamboozle the UN to agree to this? It’s simple.

I made a decision to prioritize ME over pleasing other people. To chose freedom and creativity, over safety and conformity. To believe that I had nothing to lose in a city that would always be there, and everything to gain by leaping towards my dream of making the world feel like home.

FOF (Fear of Failure) and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): our two greatest nemeses to living life unapologetically.

Insidious as they may feel, they are part of the human experience. And they never go away.Designed to keep us safe, these fears can also be dangerously good at keeping us average when left unexamined. So, what are we to do?

As I plan a move to Costa Rica– the 4th beach town on my travel circuit– I’m obliged to report that there is no magic fearless pill. I’m equally afraid of what’s to come in an unfamiliar jungle, and anxious to leaving behind a community I truly love. I’ve learned that FOF and FOMO are simply two unwanted friends I cannot shake but can learn to love.

When living a life on your own terms, doubts and anxiety are part of the package. In many ways, fear is the juice that propels the whole experience. A signal that I’m truly alive, soaring freely, and expanding my heart and mind.

So, what’s your crazy, brilliant travel idea?

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Let Christine help guide you to your true, authentic self by visiting her website here.