FOREWORD TO THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
I do believe in miracles . . . and the success of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway is a miracle to me. So many publishers rejected it in the beginning that I almost gave up trying to have it published. After all, if you received a rejection letter, as I did, that said, "Lady Di could be cycling nude down the street giving this book away, nobody would read it," wouldn't you be tempted to give up trying?!
I actually did put the manuscript away in a drawer for a few years, and almost forgot about it. One day, I decided to clean out that particular drawer ... and there it was... waiting for me. I sat down and read through it again. Suddenly I was struck with the powerful sense that I held something in my hands that would be of help to many people. This time I made a vow to myself: "Somehow I am going to find a way to get Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway out into the world!" And so I "felt the fear" and tried once again to find a publisher. And this time, with a deep inner resolve and with the help of my agent, Dominick Abel, I found a publisher at last.
Twenty years have passed since Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway was first published. It is now available in over 100 countries and has been translated into over 30 languages. And that number continues to grow. From this continuous growth, one can conclude that the words I wrote so long ago are as relevant today as they were then ... if not more so!
Fear will always be a part of all of our lives in one form or another. And this applies to people everywhere. From the letters of thanks I receive from all over the world, it is clear that no matter who we are ... no matter where we live ... no matter what we are experiencing in life, we all feel fear, but fear doesn't need to hold us back from living a rich and beautiful life. We can overcome our fears by regularly using the powerful tools that lie within these pages.
I thank all of you who have let me know in one form or another that Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway has made a huge difference in the quality of your lives. It brings me a special feeling of joy and humility to know that I have touched the lives of so many people. It made me realize that trusting my gut and not giving up was a very good thing!
And for you "beginners" who are opening this book for the first time, trust me when I tell you that fear doesn't have to hold you back. You, too, can learn how to push through your fears ... ALL of your fears ... with a sense of power, excitement, and love. And that's what this book is all about.
As you will discover, the concepts and tools you are about to learn are meant to be used for a lifetime. Learn them well. And every time a new challenge comes into your life, you need only reach into your "toolbox" and move yourself from the weakest to the strongest part of who you are. As you do, you will be absolutely amazed at the incredible amount of power you hold inside . . . power to love, power to succeed, power to help the world in your own special way. The journey to the best of who you are is exciting and rewarding ... and I am so happy to be walking right along with you as you take those first important steps.
Susan Jeffers