I want you to take a minute and ask yourself, "If I had all the time and money in the world what would I be doing today?"
You are probably quick to say laying on a beach drinking a margarita! If you think about the question for a minute you will probably come up with something a little more meaningful. Your answer might be volunteering for an organization, starting your own business, starting a non-profit, traveling, or even spending more time with your family. When you think about your answers you will find that accomplishing these things would fulfill you on a very deep level. But why don't we do them?
I believe there are 3 main reasons why we don't pursue our passions: time, money, and fear. I will save time and money for a different day but I want to talk about fear. Fear is something that affects everyone in some capacity. It can influence major life decisions as well as small everyday ones. It can slowly creep in or it can show up like a force out of nowhere.
The interesting thing about fear is that it is created within ourselves. Before we even voice our dreams or goals to someone else our minds already tell us we can't do it. We tell ourselves that our idea isn't good enough, that we will fail, no one will buy our product, that people won't support us, etc. The list goes on and on. We must learn how to quiet the voice of fear. If we do not, fear will takeover and soon will prohibit us from doing the things we dream of, the things that give us gusto, the things that truly motivate us.
FACE FEAR HEAD ON with the steps below:
1. Ask yourself if you are fearing something you can control. There are certain things that we can't control, for example, natural disaster, economic downturn, or a home break-in. To combat these types of fears we must create an action plan in the case of an event. To put a plan into action about how you would handle these types of situations will make you feel more secure.
2. Ask yourself what the worst case scenario is if you go for something you have been holding back on. For example, say you deserve a raise at work. You put together a list of reasons as to why you deserve the raise. Maybe you take on extra projects, the average salary for your position is much higher, you want to take on additional responsibilities. Once you do this, you must set a specific time to meet with your boss and present your case. Best case scenario, he or she says yes! Worst case, he or she says no. The worst case scenario is something you can live with. Even if you don't get the raise you were able to clearly voice reasons as to why you deserve it, you showed your boss you are not afraid to ask for what you want, and you didn't let your fear stop you.
3. Create a Plan B. Try to map out the possible outcomes and how you will respond! In the event that something doesn't go as planned you can refer to the back-up plan and proceed forward. When you are starting a new adventure, you shouldn't expect things to go textbook perfect. The most rewarding roads are not straight; they are usually full of roadblocks, curves, and hills and you should welcome this!
4.
Train yourself to think more positively. If you don't believe in yourself, nobody will. Most of us let negative thoughts freely flow through our mind on a daily basis. Take notice of this and when you feel the negativity coming in try to replace it with positive. Create a mantra out of it! Going back to the raise example, you may tell yourself that you will never get the raise so why bother. If you don't believe you should get it, neither will your boss. You must be your greatest cheerleader. Create a mantra to repeat to yourself: I am strong, I am brave, and I will ask for what I feel I deserve. Repeat this over and over until it squashes that fear!
Fear is something that every person faces. You must kick fear in the face and take charge of your own life. Do not let it stop you from achieving your dreams. I believe in you and you must believe in yourself!
