Diane Keaton in 'Something's Gotta Give'.
Credit :Bob Marshak
While we mourn her absence, what she left us — in her art, in her voice, in her boldness — continues to live on.
One quote of hers, in particular, has
stayed with me:
“Here is my biggest takeaway after 60 years on the planet: There is great value in being fearless. For too much of my life, I was too afraid, too frightened by it all. That fear is one of my biggest regrets.”
She wasn’t just speaking from some distant place — she was speaking from lived experience. Keaton, in her own journey through fame, creativity, vulnerability, aging, and relationships, recognized how powerful
fear can be — and how costly. Her regret didn’t come from recklessness but from a wisdom born of time rooted in honesty.
I see a reflection of that in myself. For too long, I’ve let fear steer decisions: limiting what I dared to try, holding me back in relationships, whispering “not yet” when there was opportunity knocking. I’ve delayed dreams, avoided hard conversations, stayed in safe zones when growth was nudging me forward.
But what if we leaned
differently?
What if we asked ourselves — each of us — “Where am I being too cautious? What would happen if I allowed a little more courage to guide me?”
Here’s what I’m going to do:
- Be more vulnerable in conversation, even when it feels risky.
- Pursue a project or idea I’ve shelved because I worried about judgment or failure.
- Say “yes” more often — yes to possibility, yes to stretch, yes to a version of myself that is
braver than before.
If I succeed, I might find deeper connection, new creativity, more meaning. If I fail — well, I will at least have tried.
I want to invite you now, dear reader, into this space with me:
Where in your life might you be more fearless?
If you leaned into courage, how might your world change?
Feel free to write me back, or simply carry that question with you this
week. Maybe it’s in a relationship that needs mending. Maybe it’s a dream you’ve tucked away. Maybe it’s speaking a hard truth, changing course, or risking something small that you’ve shied from so far.
Diane Keaton’s legacy is many things: a brilliant artist, a creative spirit, a woman unafraid to age out loud. But one of the greatest gifts she leaves is this reminder: fear is a force, to be recognized — and, sometimes, to be defied.
May we all grow, in her
memory, to be a little more fearless than yesterday.
With hope and gratitude,
Linda
Personal & Executive Life Coach
