Archive for the ‘Overcoming Difficult Situations’ Category

FACE YOUR FEARS

Does fear and anxiety hold you back from trying something new?  Perhaps you’ve been offered an advanced or expanded role at work.  Maybe you’re considering a new venture, a new project or plan. It could also be a new opportunity or even a new relationship on the horizon.  The thought of this new direction is exciting, but you feel unsure, unworthy or even incapable because it is so new to you.  You realize that you are taking a risk in stepping outside of the box.

Are you listening to your inner voice telling you, “You’re not good enough.”  “You can’t do that.”  “What will others say?” “What makes you think you can accomplish that?”  “What if you fail?”

There is nothing wrong with experiencing fear and trepidation in a new situation. Something new can be scary. But it’s what you do with the fear that makes all the difference. We all experience fear from time to time. In fact cowards and heroes alike experience fear.

If we give too much attention to our insecurities and fears, they become bigger and bigger in our mind.  We can easily magnify the actual circumstances, causing us to unnecessarily fret, worry, and even become paranoid.

Fear can be paralyzing and even destructive if we allow ourselves to get entrapped in the jaws of apprehension.  On the other hand, we can face the fear, but then put it to good use as a stepping-stone for something new and better.

The most important thing is to acknowledge your fear, then take a step and just keep taking one meaningful step after another.

 Each meaningful step will lead you closer to your goal.  Each step you take in spite of your fear and anxiety will bring a sense of achievement and increased confidence. When your confidence increases your courage quotient goes up and you are soon able to try other fearful things. One final point: Don’t forget to celebrate the mountain of fear you just climbed.

TAGS: face your fear, fear, anxiety, afraid, insecure, unsure, acknowledge your fear, courage, confidence

As the world watches the east coast of the United States prepare for Hurricane Irene in August of 2011, it makes me think of the storms of life that we face from time to time.

On the eastern seaboard they are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.  Gathering supplies, setting priorities, finding refuge in temporary shelter, putting disaster plans into effect and wait and wait and wait-wondering when the storm will hit, what damage will it do and when will life return to normal?

The storms of life are just like Hurricane Irene.  They appear suddenly, sometimes without warning; flooding our lives and emotions, blowing the roof off our relationships, tearing down the structure of our homes and our marriages and leaving behind a path of devastation, destruction and death.

Life storms can come in the form of illness, death, disaster, divorce, financial ruin, loss of work, abuse, violence and a whole myriad of other problems.  Whatever the storm might be, it creates chaos, confusion, fear, resistance, denial, horror and grief.

I’ll never forget a couple we knew, whose marriage was suddenly thrust into a violent storm when an unsuspected affair was exposed, literally tearing that family to shreds. One spouse commented, “This is like a storm of hurricane proportions!”

When a storm strikes, where is our shelter, how can we withstand the onslaught?  How do we prepare to survive the crisis?

1. Acknowledge the danger inherent in the crisis.
2. Gather strength and support from trusted family, friends, pastor or advisor.
3. Pray for wisdom, guidance and the ability to make positive choices.
4. Find shelter, a safe harbor or anchor from your ability to withstand past difficulties.
5. Believe in yourself and your ability to overcome.
6. Pull together as a team. There is strength in numbers
7. Identify your resources.
8. Develop a plan.
9. Set priorities.
10. Put a plan in motion, and take one step at a time.