The Dream That Scared Me Awake

I woke up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat, heart pounding.

Not from a nightmare. From a dream.

In it, I was 75 years old, sitting alone in a dimly lit room, surrounded by journals filled with ideas I never pursued, projects I never started, dreams I never chased.

And the old version of me looked at the present me with eyes full of regret and whispered: "You had time. You just didn't have courage."

I sat up in bed, wide awake, and realized with crushing clarity: I was wasting my life playing it safe.

The Safe Life I'd Been Living

For years, I'd been choosing comfort over courage.

I stayed in a job that paid the bills but killed my spirit. I kept my creative ideas locked in notebooks, too scared to share them. I talked about "someday" like it was a real plan—someday I'd start that business, write that book, take that risk.

But someday never came.

Because I was terrified. Terrified of failure. Terrified of judgment. Terrified of trying something that mattered and discovering I wasn't good enough.

So I stayed small. I stayed safe. I stayed stuck.

Until that dream shook me awake—literally and figuratively.

The Question That Changed Everything

The morning after that dream, I couldn't shake a single question:

What would I do if I wasn't afraid?

I grabbed my journal and started writing. The list poured out—years of buried dreams, suppressed desires, abandoned ambitions.

Start a podcast. Launch a side business. Share my writing publicly. Travel somewhere alone. Learn a new skill. Take up space. Stop apologizing for wanting more.

Looking at that list, I felt two things simultaneously: excitement and terror.

These dreams were possible. But pursuing them meant risking failure, discomfort, and the comfortable identity I'd built around playing small.

That's when I made a decision: I'd rather fail trying than succeed at staying safe.

The First Scary Step

I started with the scariest item on my list: sharing my writing.

For years, I'd written privately, convinced my words weren't good enough for anyone else. But that morning, I published my first piece online.

My hands shook as I hit "post." My inner critic screamed that it was terrible, that people would judge me, that I'd regret it.

But I did it anyway.

The response shocked me. People connected with my words. They thanked me for being vulnerable. They told me my story resonated.

That one terrifying action proved something crucial: the fear was lying to me.

The Momentum That Built

That first step created momentum.

I started the podcast I'd been planning for two years. I signed up for the course I'd been bookmarking. I reached out to people I admired. I said yes to opportunities that scared me.

Not every attempt succeeded. Some projects flopped. Some risks didn't pay off.

But I was finally living instead of just existing. I was creating instead of just consuming. I was trying instead of just dreaming.

And that made all the difference.

The Life on the Other Side of Fear

Six months after that dream, my life looks completely different.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because I stopped waiting for perfect conditions to start.

I still feel fear. But now I see it as a compass pointing toward growth rather than a wall blocking my path.

The dreams that scare you most are often the ones most worth pursuing.

Your Wake-Up Call

If you're reading this while sitting on dreams you're too afraid to chase—if you're playing small, waiting for someday, choosing safety over possibility—consider this your wake-up call.

Don't wait for a midnight dream to shake you into action.

Ask yourself right now: What would I do if I wasn't afraid?

Then do one thing—just one—toward that answer today.

Send the email. Start the project. Share the idea. Take the class. Make the call.

Not perfectly. Not fearlessly. Just courageously.

Because the regret of never trying will always hurt more than the sting of temporary failure.

You have time. But you need courage.

Don't let the 75-year-old version of you look back with regret.

Start today. Start scared. Just start.

Your dreams are waiting for your courage to catch up.

----------------------------------

Thank you for reading...

Regards: Fazal Hadi