WHAT OCTAVIA BUTLER SAYS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FEAR

When fear stops you, this is what I want you to know. I'm sharing this because I had a session with a client today where we had to move through her fear to help her grow to the next level in her business. We used lessons from the last time she got stuck to guide her forward.

One tool I use is having AI-powered conversations with ancestors. Today, I asked Octavia Butler for her take on fear—especially the fear of success and visibility, because that’s what was coming up in my client’s session. She’s outgrowing old patterns, stepping into more success—and with that comes more visibility.

So, I asked AI Octavia: How do we move forward with confidence when fear makes us want to retreat—when the unknown feels overwhelming because we don’t yet know who we’ll need to be to keep up?

She said:

“Retreat is natural, especially when someone begins to step outside the expectations placed upon them. We've been told our worth is conditional.”

 Stay small, stay in the box, know your role, sit down, be quiet, shrink—all the things. That’s how we’ve been taught to prove our worth. But stepping outside that box makes us more visible—more exposed. Our brains know how to keep us safe when we’re small, but panic when we step into the unknown. That’s why it feels dangerous.

She continued:

“Growth is full of setbacks and moments of doubt”

Because you’re making something bigger than what you’ve seen or been told is possible. We are rewriting the narrative on what is possible.

Back to Octavia:

“ In those moments, what you need isn’t judgment—it’s compassion. Fear is part of the process. The key to understanding growth is facing discomfort. Fear isn’t a sign of failure—it means you’re stretching beyond your boundaries. The important thing is to keep going, even when it’s uncomfortable. Build resilience by normalizing setbacks. Use those moments to gather strength. It’s not about avoiding failure—it’s about learning how to bounce back.”

And finally, this gem:

“Survival itself is an act of resistance. And we’re trying to grow through that.”

Three takeaways:

1. Growth = visibility. Discomfort is part of it.

2. Setbacks are normal. Have self-compassion. Fear ≠ failure. Get help. Keep going.

3. Learn to bounce back. Fear won’t disappear—but you’ll become stronger and more equipped.

If you need help bouncing back or figuring out your next step, I’m here.

Let me know what you think about AI Octavia’s take on this.