It's been said that 95% of the things we fear never happen. Yet, many of us let fear stop us from doing 95% of the things we want to do.
We fear what others will think: Will they laugh? Will I lose their love or their support? Will they try to sabotage me?
We fear failure: Will I look stupid? Will I lose money? What if I can't find enough business?
We fear success: What if I get so much business that I can't keep up? How will I handle the accounting and the taxes? What if I outgrow this space before the lease is up?
I think when we ask the right questions we can change fear from something that imprisons us to something that can empower us. One of the scariest experiences of my life occured while I was at work on day. I was sitting in my cubicle chatting with my boyfriend about our plans for the evening. After I hung up the phone, I had a thought that literally sent chills down my spine.
You know that you can be in this exact same position next year at this time. Same job (no promotion), same boyfriend (not fiance or husband), same car, same apartment (not a house of my own).
My fear was the fear of an unsatisfying status quo. What if things didn't change? What if I didn't do something different? What if nothing changed?
Six months later, I had left my job and moved to Los Anglees to pursue my screenwriting.
It's been four and a half years since I had that thought. Since then, I've had some wonderful experiences, met some amazing people and done some incredible things. Using that fear to make that major change made all of the difference.
Fear is real and it's natural. The key is to turn it from a fiend into a friend.
Karyn,
ReplyDeleteThis blog of fear is so true. I was laid off my job on 7/7/2008 as a Payroll Administrator working for a prominent company. I knew I was going to be laid off and was excited so I could pursue my business more full-time instead of part-time.
Well the very next day I had a melt down. Because I feared the unknown. How do you go from having a stable income to some or no income at all. And that frightened me because I have kids, which means cobra is too costly for me to purchase.
So, I begin praying and then putting all my business needs and goals into prospective. I began my business last year and I wrote a book that was self-published in April 2008. I began seeking more speaking engagements and avenues for book signings to get my book out here to the marketing niche I prefer.
Although, its only been a couple of weeks since my lay off I am driven and determined to make my business work for me. And to be honest. I do not want to work for no one but myself, because I love the autonomy.
I always heard if you want to become successful in your own business you must put 100% effort into and not 30, 40, or 50 ONLY 100 if you want to see great results.
Sincerely,
M.A.Moorer
I heard a quote once that said something like courage isn't the absence of fear. True courage involves acknowledging your fear and moving ahead anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf you continue to persevere, you will succeed. The important thing is that you didn't let the fear paralyze you. For some people that 'meltdown' would have marked the end. They would have given up right there. But you worked through it and that is impressive! Your kids will have an excellent role model!