I talk to you guys a lot about positive thinking, belief in your abilities, and focusing exclusively on your goals to move you toward success in life.
But, there are times when simply thinking positively or focusing on your desired outcome is not enough to move you past fear and anxiety. Times when that four letter ‘f’ word has got you frozen to the freakin floor.
At these times, there’s nothing to be done except to be honest.
Simply acknowledge the fear is there, it has become an obstacle, and now it must be plodded through.
Wars have been fought, Olympic medals have been won, people have overcome personal tragedies, inventions have been made, and inspiring speeches have changed the world even though individuals risked their very lives to say those words.
Fear of the unknown, of failure, of ridicule, of the ramifications of your choice, of lack of money, of looking foolish, of being wrong, of hurting those you love, of... (Insert whatever fear you can think of here… I’ve run out of things to be afraid of at the moment).
The difference between someone who pushes through and achieves success in some area, and someone who is too worried and never tries is simply what they allowed their mind to dwell on.
They both had the same ‘real world’ obstacles in front of them…
but the person who succeeded did not think about, dwell in, or maybe even believe in the fear.
Instead, they focused on what was possible.
Ever hear the famous line, “Feel the fear and do it anyway”? Or, “If you’re afraid to do it, just DO IT AFRAID.” No one blames you for being fearful—we all relate to that. What you will be blamed for, and come to regret, is letting that fear immobilize you.
No matter what it takes, you must keep moving.
Fear is a quagmire—it slurps at our feet and makes it hard to move forward. If we stand still long enough, it begins to suck us down.
It’s hard to get out of, but even then it IS possible.
If you’re stuck in fear as you shoot for success, and it WILL happen, there are several ways out of the pit:
Where did the fear come from?
Have you been dwelling on the difficulties instead of the opportunities? I guarantee you have.
Have you been listening to the cynics and pessimists around you, instead of coaching yourself with positive words and people?
If so, IGNORE. Them.
There are ten thousand people who are willing to tell you how it can never work out because their own lives are dominated by fear; their lives reflect only stuck-ness and mediocrity. It is a spreading sickness that you do not need to catch.
Lots of times we won’t ‘feel like’ doing something or we are immobilized with doubts and uncertainties.
So what? DO. IT. Anyway.
Start by focusing on what you HAVE accomplished.
Look at your list of goals (you DO write down your goals, right!?) and think about the daily, smaller steps you’re taking to get there. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, begin to list everything you have accomplished.
When doubt creeps in, refer to these inspiring lists.
Take stock of your talents and skills. Fear (or people around us) often tells us that we “don’t have what it takes…”
Show fear as the liar.
The fact that you have ambition and determination to reach your goal are two qualities that already put you in the top percent of people who succeed.
And you don’t give in to bullies.
Don’t beat yourself up. Go easy, be playful and just remind yourself of z’goal you want to achieve. Fear only freezes us when we are focusing on it… like the spider you don’t dare take your eyes off lest he jump on you and suck out all your blood…
You are focusing on the wrong thing. What you fear is NEVER going to happen anyway (see #4).
Bring your attention back to what you WANT. Not what you want to AVOID.
What we think about. We bring about.
That’s really what fear is—it is an unrealistic worst-case scenario look (false look) at something and it is a trap to believe because it only APPEARS to be real.
They are both. VERY. POWERFUL.
You must decide which to focus on in your mind.
Once you know these things, you’ll be able to move past your fear and on to the next step you need to be successful! After all, you are in control.
Use your extraordinary mind and vision for what you truly want to achieve.
