Category Archives: Fear

“Action conquers fear.”

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 “Action conquers fear.”

– Peter Nivio Zarlenga, author

Over the next day or two, take particular notice of people who are experiencing worry or outright fear – especially if one of those people is you. One thing I bet you notice is the degree of paralysis, procrastination, and inactivity associated with this emotion.

Terms like crippled, frozen, riddled and stuck all point to this debilitating condition.

Simply the act of moving one step at a time helps to break these bonds and frees us once again to move our worlds forward.

Exercise:

Whenever you are experiencing fear, share how you’re feeling with someone immediately, and seek their support to act quickly before the cement of this crippling emotion has a chance to dry.

Forget to be Afraid

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“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”

–Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the USA

Image from Pinterest

My journey into the coaching profession is definitely an example of getting so wrapped up in something I almost forgot to be afraid.

At the ripe old age of 35, I threw caution to the wind and left a 12-year career with a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company to sign up for the job of “coach” with:

1. No salary (You ate what you killed!)
2. No benefits
3. No coaching clients
4. No general agreement about or awareness of the profession – it was truly in its infancy
5. A wife and two young children, plus a considerable mortgage
6. Modest savings, with about 6 months of living expenses

In spite of these factors, I found myself enthusiastic and excited to partner with people and help them achieve breakthroughs in their personal and professional life – just as Olympic athletes work with coaches to achieve their full potential.

Exercise:

What can you be so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid?

Our doubts are traitors

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“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

—William Shakespeare, playwright

image from www.huffingtonpost.ca

I had a hard time reading Shakespeare in high school – I just didn’t fully get it. Maybe it was my impatience or perhaps I can blame my English teacher!

For me, this quote is about how fear stops just about all of us in our tracks. Perhaps if we really, really focus on the good we wish to do, then we will find that secret life lever that will have us try, leap, and attempt, in spite of this fear.

Exercise:

Where is fear keeping you from the good you might do?

Where can you find the courage to overcome this fear and make the attempt?