Fear is Just a Drama Queen: Why Your Worst-Case Scenarios Are Mostly Lies

The other morning, I had an early appointment at a government office to pick up my new passport. Because nothing screams “great start to the day” like bureaucracy. But plot twist: I ran into an old friend, and what followed was a conversation so deep it could’ve been a TED Talk.

Lately, I’d been obsessing over the future—because why just live in the present when you can stress about things months in advance? My brain loves a well-laid plan, preferably one with a neat little checklist. No chaos, no surprises, just a straight line to success. (Hilarious, right?)

Instead of indulging in the usual, mind-numbing small talk, we dove straight into the existential abyss—because, obviously, that’s what normal people do at 7 AM in a government office. Meanwhile, the other citizens of the waiting room sat in silence, apparently under some legally binding “No Talking” agreement. But we? We had bigger things to discuss.

“Are you still at…?” I started, only for him to cut me off before I could finish.

“Oh no, I left that place.”

“Did you quit?” I asked, as if my ability to pick up context clues had suddenly vanished.

“Yeah, I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. It was suffocating.”

“Weren’t you scared? You know, of not having another job lined up?”

“Oh, absolutely terrified,” he admitted. “Not knowing what came next was like staring into the abyss. But in the end, my sanity was worth more than my fear. So I left.”

As he absently typed a WhatsApp message—pausing dramatically as if composing Shakespearean prose—I drifted into my own mental spiral of doom. I thought about the fears that had been hovering over me like overprotective ghosts. The ones from my past, the ones still haunting my present, and the inevitable ones waiting to ambush me in the future.

Then, a thought hit me like a caffeine rush: What actually happens on the other side of fear?

I had to know.

“So… what happened next? Did you find another job, or are you still unemployed and surviving on instant noodles?” I asked, half-expecting a cautionary tale that would justify all my overthinking.

“Oh, I got a job almost immediately. People thought it was beneath me, but then I landed another one that made everything before it look like child’s play.”

Well. Isn’t that just typical? Life moves on. Sometimes, it even improves when you least expect it.

See, fear is a master illusionist. It roars like a lion, convincing us that we’re about to be devoured. But the moment you stand up to it, it shrinks into a grumpy house cat and skulks away. So why do we let it boss us around?

Maybe it’s in our DNA. Our ancestors had valid fears—like actual lions, not just existential dread and disappointing their parents. But today’s predators are far more abstract: uncertainty, failure, the crushing weight of expectations.

And unlike a lion, which will definitely eat you, uncertainty just… lingers. Mocking you. Keeping you stuck. Because what if stepping into the unknown is a terrible idea? But, and hear me out—what if it isn’t?

We’ve all made fear-based choices. Stayed in soul-sucking jobs because “something is better than nothing.” Clung to relationships long past their expiration date because “what if I never find anyone else?” But my friend’s story reminded me that most of the things we fear never even happen. So why do we let them call the shots?

If fear has you in a chokehold, here are two critical things to ask yourself:

What’s on repeat in your head? Fear thrives on worst-case scenarios. “I’ll never get another job.” “I’m destined to die alone, surrounded by cats.” “Who am I to think I deserve more?” Your brain is basically running a horror movie marathon, and you’re the writer. Maybe it’s time to change the script.
What garbage are you feeding yourself? Pay attention to your inner monologue. “It’s never going to work out.” “I don’t have what it takes.” “Life is just one long struggle.” Congratulations, you’ve just hired yourself as your own worst enemy. Instead of fueling your fear, try asking: If I were fearless, what would I believe? What would I do?

At the end of the day, fear is a con artist. And the second you stop buying into its scam, you take back control.

So go ahead—stare fear in the face and step forward anyway. Odds are, the monster in the dark is just a mildly annoyed house cat. And on the other side? That’s where the magic happens.

Cynthia A. Murungi

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