There is often a split second between knowing what you want and talking yourself out of asking for it. It happens so fast you might not even notice. Maybe it is a raise, a change in your role, more time, more clarity, or less pressure. Whatever it is, fear tends to show up dressed as logic. “Now’s not the right time.” “They’ll think I’m being difficult.” “What if this ruins how I’m seen?”
But fear alone does not mean the ask is wrong. It usually means it matters. The things you want most often come with the biggest emotional cost if rejected. So it is not about getting rid of fear. Fear will always be there. We just now need to learn to ask anyway, even when the fear is loud. Especially when the fear is loud.
Most of the time, fear does not mean stop. It only means pay attention. Something in you has noticed that this moment matters. That what you are asking for could change something. Maybe not everything, but something. And even if the answer is no, at least you were brave enough to name it.