Fear. Even saying the word sometimes makes people hold their breath and think of the things that shut them down or paralyze them from moving forward. It is a natural survival skill to recognize fear!
What we do when it happens is a learned behavior. Fight of Flight is the response when we are being threatened and need to move away or push through the fear of losing our life, and that natural response is based on your adrenaline levels and desire to survive.
I personally have a flight response when I am being threatened, which is probably why when I am knee deep in non-threatening, but equally uncomfortable circumstances, I have no problem letting them go and moving on.
When I see someone else’s life being threatened, my response is to fight - fight on their behalf, especially if they are being taken advantage of. Isn’t it interesting that I found fight for someone else, but do my best to run when it is me being threatened. It is my way of self preserving, and standing in the line of service, which is my innate nature.
Let’s take it down a notch from the fear when your life is being threatened and move towards the Fear that exists when you see something you want so bad, but are not quite clear how to get it, and the critical mind shows up to keep you in that fear based mindset that paralyzes you from doing anything. I call this the slow self-sabotage cycle. It's the comfort zone you have created when you can distract yourself with busy work to avoid the fear you have from stepping into your greatness. And the clock ticks away at life, and you wake up with the same story or numbness of how did I get here?? It is slowly sabotaging your life's dream, and taking too long to realize it.
Can you see it, can you feel it, that slow self-sabotage cycle creeping in that stemmed from a fear of trying? It’s like a virus that without the appropriate remedies to fight it or in some cases kill it, you are living in a state of disarray that holds you back from the life you want to live.
In order to move from Fear to Fierce, changing the perception of what fear represents in you and how you manage it, is a game changer to achieving what it is that you want. It is an indicator that you are about to level up and learn something. It is a fuel in the fire of your life to ignite the action you need to take next.
As you may know, I am obsessed with finding new tools to break old habits that no longer serve me or my clients. So when something shows up that hinders progress, I like to break down what it really means, and map out a tool to leverage to break through and move forward. Here is an exercise that I think will help you take the power out of the fear and leverage it to do something fierce.
Putting Fear In Check:
Just like with any ailment you are feeling health wise, it requires a check up to assess what the best course of action is to squash the fear. Think of the fear you are holding onto and write it down.
Example:
I am afraid that if I show everyone what I am capable of and share what I want to do next, they will laugh at me and criticize me for my idea.
Questions to Ask Yourself (feel free to tap your heart while you are asking these questions to get you out of your head and into your body for the response):
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What is the best thing that can happen if this fear statement comes true? (write it down)
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What is the worst thing that can happen if this fear statement comes true? (write it down)
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What would I lose if I believe this statement to be true? (write it down)
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What can I do right now to get the support, knowledge, experience I need to do to prove this fear statement is a false belief that is stopping me from moving forward. (write it down)
Sample Answers:
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What is the best thing that can happen if this fear statement comes true? (write it down)
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At least I tried and learned who supports me fully and who I should not have in my life.
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Receive their feedback to fine tune how I share my message
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Laugh with them as I fumble forward knowing it comes from love
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What is the worst thing that can happen if this fear statement comes true? (write it down)
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I learn that the people I surround myself with need to change so I can build the future I dream of and not live in the box they are trying to put me in.
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I need more guidance or coaching on how to get my message out there
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What would I lose if I believe this statement to be true? (write it down)
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The ability to share my dreams with the world and the ability to live a fulfilling life.
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Building the life I desire and impacting other people's lives in a way that is so amazing.
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The people I would meet as I share my vision who want to support me and help me grow.
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What can I do right now to get the support, knowledge, experience I need to do to prove this fear statement is a false belief that is stopping me from moving forward. (write it down)
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Write down my vision and make it crystal clear in my heart so when I share it with others their opinions don’t matter.
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Share my vision with people who really care about me and support me no matter what, first, before I broadcast it to others that might not get it.
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Connect with others that have gone before me and learn from them on how they got where they are living a life that I dream of.
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Now ask yourself: Am I still afraid to move forward? Yes/No
If yes, write down the new fear statement and go through the steps above again.
If no, then take step #4 and jump into action!
Moving from Fear to Fierce has a simple definition: It is the action that you take after you identify your fears and step into action anyway. That fierce step is telling your mind, I appreciate you for protecting me, but I have to see for myself what is true and do it anyway. It helps you jump into your greatness! Even as I put the sample exercise together for you, I felt the shift in my heart answering those questions and turned the fear into excitement to move forward! Try it and see if it does the same for you.
You are fierce! Go for what you really want in life and answer the call! If you need support to help get you there, I am here for you! I love taking huge scary things and breaking them down into actionable steps to inch you towards the life you desire. My book is a great way to get started and if you need to go deeper with some 1:1 coaching, set up a consultation so we can figure out together, how best I can serve you. Honored to be a part of your Badass Journey!