Your Fear is Showing When You Fence Others Out

Your fear is showing when you fence others out.

I heard this quote many years ago and this story that John Maxwell shared. As it's described in the story and the book I read, it talks about this farmer, and this farmer goes to a hardware store and he said, "Hey, I want fencing supplies." The owner of the hardware store says, "Hey, are you going to be fencing in or fencing out?"

Meaning, if you're fencing in, you're growing. If you’re fencing out, it’s because you're wanting to just hunker down and keep what you have safe. The farmer responds, "I'm fencing in."

Somebody observed this and asked, "Well, how did you decide?" The farmer explains it that if someone is fencing in, they're growing, they're looking for expansion, they're getting better. Someone that's fencing out is fearful. They're afraid of what they have. They're hunkered down and protecting what they have.

I encourage you to rather fence in as opposed to fence out. Open up those gates, allow others to come in.

When you're afraid of what you might lose, everything you have is liable to be lost.

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