The drunk jerk who should never run the show.

Fear always tries to put your feelings in charge.

It wants you to wake up in the morning and say, “Do I feel like writing my book today? Do I feel like staying up late and working on my business plan? Do I feel like being more awesome?”

And guess what your feelings are going to tell you?

No.

Feelings are fun and important, but they turn into drunk little jerks when you ask them to run your life.

Awesome is a choice, like loving your spouse or going to work. I don’t wake up each morning and ask myself, “Do I feel like loving Jenny today?” Because guess what, some days the answer is no. My feelings are hungover from some argument or some petty insecurity that’s kicking around my heart. I don’t feel like starting the morning with a ride on a double bike, followed up by a picnic with my wife.

I chose to love my wife. I made a commitment. I honor it with my decisions.

You don’t feel like going to work every day. You don’t call a meeting with your feelings before you leave the house and say, “Hey guys, how we feeling about work today? You feel like the beach instead? OK, that makes three weeks in a row, but what am I going to do. You’re in charge!”

Nope, you go to work. On the mornings you bound out of bed and the mornings you have to drag yourself into that cubicle like it’s a prison.

Don’t let feelings make your choices. Some days, you won’t feel like being awesome. People always seem surprised by that. They ask me if I ever don’t feel like writing. They ask do I ever feel like quitting, or does it ever feel difficult? The answer is yes. On at least 90% of the days, those are the first feelings I have before I sit down with a blank piece of paper.

I might feel great once I get into the middle of the page, but when it’s blank and staring at me with those haughty eyes of sheer nothingness, I feel like quitting before I even write a single word.

But feelings don’t get to make my decisions.

And they shouldn’t make your decisions either.