What’s Your Grizzly Bear?
What holds you back? Are you afraid of failure? How about success? Maybe rejection? Are you living your dreams? Or are you working at a job you don’t care much about or even dread going to every day?
We all have something we’re afraid of; something that keeps us from doing what we want to do. It may be because of past failures or the anticipation of a future failure…you know, something that hasn’t happened yet.
Fear has a purpose. It’s a survival mechanism. It’s what has kept the human race from dying out. It is our brain’s way of keeping us safe. It works like it should when we are in a dangerous situation, like if we’re being chased by a grizzly bear. Chances are, you have good reason for fear in that scenario because you aren’t likely to win that showdown. But when you fear something that has never shown itself to be dangerous but to you is unknown, that could be F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real) rather than fear. Our F.E.A.R. keeps us from growing and living the life we were meant to live. It keeps us from stretching our creative muscles. It keeps us stagnant.
I think I have many f.e.a.r.s. I know that I'm not so special. Everyone feels the same so that makes me feel better. The fear disappears as I do the feared thing until I have to do the next thing. And I know it's a never ending thing. So I live with it and push ahead. What else can one do? Darn!
false evidence appearing real…… I like that Karen. Its not until we do more of what were afraid of doing that we get better at it. Like you my fear was public speaking. In my natural environment I can "talk underwater for England". Put me on a stage and all I could hear was my own blood pumping through my veins. It wasn't until I started guesting on podcasts that I eventually believed people do love to listen to me and contrary to belief I wont actually die of embarrassment. Now…. the stage is my friend 🙂
Way to go Dee. It's true that when you face down your F.E.A.R.s they aren't so big after all. And you are correct, to the best of my knowledge no one has ever actually died of embarrassment.
That's what you have to do Lily…keep pushing forward.