Being Fearless

I chose the topic of fearlessness because I’m scared! I’ve been in a period of reinvention, questioning who I am, what I am about and whom I am serving. I’m scared to step out on a limb and do something completely different. Yet I’m also feeling called. My fears are only thoughts I make up and run through my head: “What will people think of me?” – “What if I fail?” – “What if I’m no good?” – “What if it causes conflict?” – “What will spending this money get me?” I’m scared to stretch myself to the next level in my marriage, as a coach, as a teacher. When I try new things like teaching a burlesque class and leading “Going Higher Seminars” I feel vulnerable and exposed. It’s easy to stay the same, play small and stay in my comfort zone. But I have learned when I do the same things over and over, I get bored and stagnant. I am trusting my intuition which is nudging me higher and stretching me to new challenges.

I desire to be content, enjoy what I have and make a difference in the world – transcending fear in my personal growth. It takes courage…..wanna join me?

Seven Tips for Being Fearless:

Cultivate your Fearless Tribe – Surround yourself with others who inspire. People who are positive, are growing, see solutions and encourage you to ‘go for it,’ are your like-minded peeps. Let go of friendships where the primary conversations are around complaining and how bad things are.

Make Time for Self-Care No Matter What- When you invest in your well-being, i.e., making appointments with yourself to exercise, to shop so you can eat well, to name and create your desires and to have time for mindfulness practices (like meditation or journaling) you are honoring yourself so you can better serve others. It takes courage to put yourself first.

Question your Thoughts- Unfounded fears stop us from moving forward. What if I die? What if I run out of money? What if I fail? What if I am judged? So-and-So won’t support me. When your fears come up, start questioning these thoughts. Use Bryon Katie’s, four questions from The Work, to question your assumptions. 1. Is it true? 2. Can I absolutely know it’s true? 3. How do I react, what happens, when I believe that thought? 4. What am I without that thought? Notice what is present when you are without the thought. You can choose a new thought!

Have Support- Read personal growth books, create Desire groups (like a book club-ask me if you are curious about this), hire a coach, listen to inspiring audio/podcasts, take a teleseminar. For audio I love HayHouseRadio.com and here a few great books: Steve Chandler’s “Fearless” and for women: Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts.”

Speak Up – When you have a desire for something new or different at your job, or in your relationships, speak up respectfully. Don’t be afraid of other’s reactions. Keep asking for what you want. Acknowledge, request and appreciate. Notice the good you have, request and take the other higher with an appreciation. Your desires may lead to compromise or perhaps your making a decision to make a change. It’s good to ask for what you want, and often, the best outcomes are when you change. As Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see.”

Limit your TV News Time – Being informed is great, but if you spend your mornings and evenings with broadcast news, you may fall into its gloom and doom perspective. Make sure you balance your news intake with sensory input that is encouraging you to see the good in the world and inspires you to see the possibilities.

Be Bold – Go out of your comfort zone and try something new; join Toastmasters, offer to teach something you want to learn more about, go on an organized bike trip, take a personal growth seminar, go to surf camp, volunteer your time to those who are suffering, take a dance class, take an art class, identify your impossible dream and plan small steps realize it.

Follow your Nudges – When you hear about something that perks your interest, investigate it, and give yourself permission to go for it. Too often, we get a ‘nudge’ or a ‘spark’ about an idea and let it pass – especially if it’s unusual or out of our comfort zone. Question negative thoughts that may arise: “This is frivolous.” “I don’t have time.” “I can’t spend money on that.” Get excited about the possibility and follow the nudge. That excitement is enthusiasm, which comes from the word entheos, which means God within. Somebody’s talking to you! Be bold, and follow that nudge.

Food for Thought:

• “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

• “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
  - Eleanor Roosevelt

• “The only people who never fail are those who never try.” – Ilka Chase

• “It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.”
  - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Contact Andrea to see how coaching is a great tool to help you thrive and be a magnet for the relationships you imagine. If you work at a company, Higher Ground’s Team Building Wellness Workshops inspire groups to create a healthy, satisfying and more productive work life. See how others have made Coaching work for them. Call to schedule a complimentary, 30-minute sample coaching session or discuss a 6-week group workshop. (847) 971-3643 or email: andrea@hgcoaching.com