“You don’t need courage if you’re not going to do anything.”
Rev. Mary Tumpkins
We all know the feeling; heart racing, palms sweaty, head feels a little light. Something has triggered the fight-or-flight response and we revert to the frightened cave-dweller under attack from wild animals. In our minds we know that there is no life-threatening danger facing us, but our bodies are convinced that if we don’t run or defend ourselves then it’s all over.
Fear serves an important purpose, because it can make us cautious in a dangerous situation. Sometimes fear saves our lives. Fear can also be the thing that stops us from acting; which stops us from getting the things that we want in life. When you feel fear it is important to stop and check with yourself. Is the fear you are feeling a warning about a life-threatening situation? If so, you better listen to it and proceed with caution. Or is the fear warning us about something that could be uncomfortable if we fail? If that is the case maybe the right course is to put fear behind you and go “full speed ahead.”
Fear is such a powerful emotion, flooding our body with hormones and feelings that seem impossible to ignore, that it can be very difficult to distinguish between the “warning” fear and the “paralyzing” fear. There are some techniques that can be helpful in overcoming this powerful feeling. The first thing to realize is that the physical feelings that come with fear are the same physical feelings that we get when we are extremely excited.
Think of the last time you did something that was exciting and a little dangerous. Maybe you were riding a roller coaster, or a motorcycle. Maybe you were white-water rafting or paragliding. Whatever it was, remember how it made you feel. Fear can be an exhilarating feeling; a whiff of adrenaline can make the whole world seem brighter and more fun. Of course an element of risk and danger is part of the process; you can’t really get that feeling without risk and danger.
Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and I have known many troubles, but most of them never happened.” I understand what he meant because most of the danger I have ever faced has all been in my imagination.
That’s not to say that fear isn’t real when you are embarking on a career change. There is always the valid fear that you might fail and be worse off after trying to change your career. Will you listen to the fear that can stop you from taking action to improve your life, or will you face that fear with courage and not let it stop you from doing and being the things you dream about? You get to decide.
Timothy Ferriss, in his wild book The 4-Hour Work Week, gives us an exercise that can be very helpful in determining the meaning of fear and acting anyway:
1. Define your nightmare, the absolute worst thing that could happen if you did what you are considering.
Our imaginations are powerful tools and can invent danger where none exists. Let your imagination run wild. What’s the very worst thing that can happen? Could your decision result in you dying homeless and alone on the street? Or can you think of something worse? Inoculate yourself against the very worst outcome by imagining it fully.
2. What steps could you take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily?
I bet you have recovered from terrible setbacks before. Have you ever had the very worst thing you imagined happen to you and then felt, “That wasn’t really so bad.”? Think about it now. What resources would you be able to call on? What actions could you take to get back on your feet if the worst happens?
3. What are the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios?
The exercise of your imagination will allow you to dream up worst-case scenarios that probably couldn’t even really happen. Get real now. What is more likely to happen if you take the action you are afraid of? Are there benefits to that outcome?
4. If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things under financial control?
Losing our job or our ability to meet our financial obligations is often the worst thing that we can imagine. This is the modern day equivalent of the caveman’s fear of a saber-tooth tiger. You’ve probably been there before; devastated at the unexpected loss of income. What did you do to get back on your feet? What could you do now if the worst happened?
5. What are you putting off out of fear?
What action is causing the fear you are feeling? What are you avoiding because of the fear? Someone once said, “We can’t grow until we take the uncomfortable step.” What step are you shying away from?
Rev. Mary Tumpkins
We all know the feeling; heart racing, palms sweaty, head feels a little light. Something has triggered the fight-or-flight response and we revert to the frightened cave-dweller under attack from wild animals. In our minds we know that there is no life-threatening danger facing us, but our bodies are convinced that if we don’t run or defend ourselves then it’s all over.
Fear serves an important purpose, because it can make us cautious in a dangerous situation. Sometimes fear saves our lives. Fear can also be the thing that stops us from acting; which stops us from getting the things that we want in life. When you feel fear it is important to stop and check with yourself. Is the fear you are feeling a warning about a life-threatening situation? If so, you better listen to it and proceed with caution. Or is the fear warning us about something that could be uncomfortable if we fail? If that is the case maybe the right course is to put fear behind you and go “full speed ahead.”
Fear is such a powerful emotion, flooding our body with hormones and feelings that seem impossible to ignore, that it can be very difficult to distinguish between the “warning” fear and the “paralyzing” fear. There are some techniques that can be helpful in overcoming this powerful feeling. The first thing to realize is that the physical feelings that come with fear are the same physical feelings that we get when we are extremely excited.
Think of the last time you did something that was exciting and a little dangerous. Maybe you were riding a roller coaster, or a motorcycle. Maybe you were white-water rafting or paragliding. Whatever it was, remember how it made you feel. Fear can be an exhilarating feeling; a whiff of adrenaline can make the whole world seem brighter and more fun. Of course an element of risk and danger is part of the process; you can’t really get that feeling without risk and danger.
Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and I have known many troubles, but most of them never happened.” I understand what he meant because most of the danger I have ever faced has all been in my imagination.
That’s not to say that fear isn’t real when you are embarking on a career change. There is always the valid fear that you might fail and be worse off after trying to change your career. Will you listen to the fear that can stop you from taking action to improve your life, or will you face that fear with courage and not let it stop you from doing and being the things you dream about? You get to decide.
Timothy Ferriss, in his wild book The 4-Hour Work Week, gives us an exercise that can be very helpful in determining the meaning of fear and acting anyway:
1. Define your nightmare, the absolute worst thing that could happen if you did what you are considering.
Our imaginations are powerful tools and can invent danger where none exists. Let your imagination run wild. What’s the very worst thing that can happen? Could your decision result in you dying homeless and alone on the street? Or can you think of something worse? Inoculate yourself against the very worst outcome by imagining it fully.
2. What steps could you take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily?
I bet you have recovered from terrible setbacks before. Have you ever had the very worst thing you imagined happen to you and then felt, “That wasn’t really so bad.”? Think about it now. What resources would you be able to call on? What actions could you take to get back on your feet if the worst happens?
3. What are the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios?
The exercise of your imagination will allow you to dream up worst-case scenarios that probably couldn’t even really happen. Get real now. What is more likely to happen if you take the action you are afraid of? Are there benefits to that outcome?
4. If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things under financial control?
Losing our job or our ability to meet our financial obligations is often the worst thing that we can imagine. This is the modern day equivalent of the caveman’s fear of a saber-tooth tiger. You’ve probably been there before; devastated at the unexpected loss of income. What did you do to get back on your feet? What could you do now if the worst happened?
5. What are you putting off out of fear?
What action is causing the fear you are feeling? What are you avoiding because of the fear? Someone once said, “We can’t grow until we take the uncomfortable step.” What step are you shying away from?
6. What is it costing you – financially, emotionally and physically – to postpone action?
What would be the benefits of taking the action you are afraid of? If there are benefits to doing something you are afraid to do, it is costing you something to not take action. Think about it now. What is it costing you to hesitate in the face of fear?
7. What are you waiting for?
A risk is only scary until you take it.
No comments:
Post a Comment