So where are we now? You know your fears today are basically pretty irrationa. And that it’s actually your fear of your fears that holds you back.
But all the way up to this point we’re still talking about fear as a “net negative”. As something that only comes with costs. Never a benefit.
Well today we’re going to flip that perspective on its head and talk about…
The Bright Side Of Fear
Because the reality is, fear is a good thing. Let me say that again.
Fear is a good thing.
Ever thought about that?
You see, fear in and of itself – as a pure emotion – is an exhilarating, thrilling, exciting, stimulating force. Fear boosts your heart rate pumping more oxygen through your body. It sharpens and redirects your focus. It gives you a huge adrenaline rush that gets you ready for action.
And if you take a minute to think about it, you’ll realize most people actually like being frightened. People line up to see scary movies, ride hair-raising roller coasters, sky-dive out of airplanes and do all kinds of other terrifying activities all the time.
Fear has real potential to pump life into your existence.
Fear Is The Great Performance Enhancer
When you harness all the feelings that fear throws at you and take action anyway, you’re typically at the peak of your game. You behave like “your life depends on something.” You get laser focused on only what’s important at that moment.
Think about what a little fear can do for your performance. The last time you were on a plane, how much attention did you pay to the flight attendants when they ran through their pre-flight safety routine? Did you even bother to put your iPad down?
Now imagine that you’re cruising at 35,000 feet and suddenly the plane goes into a steep descent. The pilot comes on the loudspeaker saying you were making an emergency landing and the flight attendants will instruct you what to do in the final moments. I’d bet you’d be all ears for that. Seat-back up. Tray table in its upright and locked position. I’d bet every word they said would be etched in your memory. That you’d be waiting to take whatever action they explained would be necessary.
You see? Fear really isn’t the bad guy.
Time For Your Next Exercise
When I come back, we’ll wrap this little coaching session up with the bottom line about your fear of your fears. And what you need to do to conquer it.