3 Simple Questions Shift Fear to Inspiring Surprises

You would think after nearly 50 years of volunteering and working with nonprofits that asking for donations would get easier.

After all, I’m not asking for the money for myself.

It hasn’t. 

I fear that people will feel annoyed by my request, pressured by being put on the spot or as if I’m not considering what is important to them. 

Those feelings might be true, but so are other possibilities. People like to support people they care about. Choosing not to give doesn’t define a whole relationship. A no answer this time might be a yes another time. 

In November 2023 and 2024 I challenged myself to raise the minimum entry fee for the Komen 1-Day Walk to Cure Breast Cancer in San Diego. 

I wanted to support my colleague Michelle Beauchamp who has been a walking warrior for 27 years and raising $100,000 since losing her mother to breast cancer.

I also wanted to celebrate my 20 years of surviving breast cancer and finding the warrior in myself. 

Every mammogram every October creates some doubt and fear until the letter arrives confirming that “your breast imaging is normal.” 

At the end of the Komen Walk to celebrate walkers, there is a special ritual for survivors. We line up 10 across linking arms. This year I could see at least 15 rows. With booming, happy music filling the park, we walk through a human tunnel of hundreds of people, each raising one shoe in a powerful salute in our honor. 

The salute reminds me that the scars on my body saved me and so has 20 years of vigilance about my health. 

The truth is that changing how we feel about fear can lead inspiring surprises in our lives.

For nonprofit organization leaders, fear is often a signal that you are on the edge of something meaningful. It shows up when you are stepping into the unfamiliar or challenging yourselves to grow. While fear might yell loudly in your ears “Stay safe. Stay here,” a desire for growth benefits from curiosity and action that motivate moving forward.

Questions to Navigate Your Fear

 When fear feels paralyzing, small steps can make all the difference. These three questions help me break through being stuck about my fundraising: 

 1. What do I need now?

Fear can make us feel unsteady. Asking this question grounds us in our purpose. Maybe you need a reminder why you are doing something, reassurance that people won’t think poorly of you or simply a moment to breathe before you dive in. Identifying what you need shifts the focus from the fear itself to how you can support yourself in moving forward.

 2. What could make this easy?

Fear often exaggerates how hard something will be. Simplifying the challenge by reminding yourself all the ways that you do similar tasks successfully can reduce overwhelm. So can asking for help, gathering information, testing your approach, or looking at the situation from different angles make it more manageable. 

 3. What is the smallest, easiest step I could take to get going?

Sometimes the first step is the hardest, and once you take that you will feel motivated to take the next one. It might be sending an email, making a phone call, or writing down your ideas. Small actions build momentum, and with momentum comes confidence to keep going. 

An Adventurous Mindset Transforms Fear Into Possibility

In my experience what helps manage fear the most is getting into action with an adventurous mindset. Adventure reminds me that I am exploring and learning, and that whatever happens in the experience can be something I can appreciate. 

 Action doesn’t mean rushing ahead recklessly; it means being in the present moment, taking one step at a time. Think of fear as an invitation to explore rather than a command to stop.

 Adopting an adventurous mindset shifts the experience. Instead of asking, “What if I fail?” try asking, “What might I discover?” Each small step builds a path forward, allowing you to turn fear into opportunity and uncertainty into possibility.

The Inspiring Surprises

When we push through fear, we open doors to unexpected breakthroughs. Over two breast cancer walks it enabled me to ask friends and family for support, be understanding of no responses and raise $1,665 in donations. It grew my resilience and courage. 

 Fear doesn’t have to define your story. 

 The next time fear knocks, answer it with small steps into another adventure that makes your life feel even more meaningful.