Christine Kent

Hi Everyone,

I read a great quote yesterday that I wanted to share with you.

“Our fears are like dragons guarding our deepest treasures”
~Elizabeth Glaser

This quote touched me so much, not only because of everything Elizabeth Glaser achieved and fought for in her life, but also because I thought this was a poignant message for all of us. Many of us do live with fear on a daily basis, both in our lives and in our careers. In fact, some of us hang on to our fear so much, we are debilitated by it. It is human nature to avoid change, because change is scary and uncertain. However, change can often be the best thing for us.

If you are weakened by fear, you’re not alone. Many of us have fears that keep us from moving forward in our life. In fact, we almost wrap the fear around ourselves like a warm blanket. Why? Because fear is what we know. Fear is something we are all too familiar with, so it’s easy to hang on to it and just keep your career and your life in a holding pattern. But what if you’re ready to let go of your fear? What if you want to let the dragons loose and share your deepest treasures with those around you? What if you want to move forward past your fears to achieve success?

All perfectly good questions. Below I’ve listed some steps you can take to help you get past your fear and to help you move forward in your career and in your life.

Why Does The Fear Exist? - Take a good long look at the fear. I’ve heard it said that if you look at the way people try to hide things about themselves, you can figure out what they are afraid of. So, give yourself a critical look. What do you keep from those around you? Do you have closet talents you don’t wish to showcase? Are you really good at something that you don’t share with others around you? Things that you sweep under the rug are the things that bring fear to you. Pull these things out and let them see the light of day. It will only benefit you in the end, and you will soon realize there is nothing to fear.

Take Baby Steps - Most people cope with fear with escape and avoidance behaviors. The best way to overcome your fear of something is to approach it with baby steps. By getting closer to whatever it is that frightens you, you can then see that there really was not as much there to be afraid of. Take things slowly, one calculated move at a time, you're in no rush. If you move too quickly, it can seem like way too much and you will be in danger of psyching yourself out. Every journey begins with a first step, and baby steps are the key to getting you effectively and fearlessly closer to your goal.

It’s Not The Worst Thing - So, um...I hate to go there, but I must...What if you fail? Many people are afraid to move forward in their careers and in life, because they are afraid to fail. Most of us, and I was one of them, grew up in a household where our parents told us that we needed to succeed. Failure was not an option for me during my formative years, thus I grew to fear failure. Since then, I have learned that everyone has their failures in life. No one has the perfect, completely successful experience. Usually what happens when you have tried and failed is exactly nothing. You may not move forward, but you many times won’t move backward either, and now you’ve gained valuable knowledge from the experience that will help to ensure success the next time around. Failure isn’t the worst thing. In fact, there can be a lot of value in failing. Failing is learning. Bottom line, never fear failure.

What If You Succeed? - On the flip side of that, what if you succeed. YIKES! That’s almost as scary as failing, isn’t it? If you succeed, your life would change, your career would take on a new dimension, and you might actually find yourself on the path to living a happy and fulfilled life. It can be scary to think of leaving your safe bubble of existence, but moving forward and growing is always the best choice. We were not meant to be stagnant individuals, so don’t be afraid to move forward and don’t be afraid to achieve the success you’ve dreamed of.

Concentrate On The Present - I know this sounds strange, but don’t think too far ahead. Let the present be your concentration. If you move your thoughts and your mindset too far into the future, you can feel overwhelmed and you can get ahead of yourself, which is not good. Instead, take things slowly, don’t project too much. Resist the urge to formulate scenarios in your head of what the future will be like if you succeed. Instead, just work on making positive changes in the present. Once that is achieved, move on to the next positive change in the present, and so on. This will help you to stay focused, keep your pace, and move forward without fear.

Change Is Coming - Yes, that’s right. If you release your fear, then change is coming, so be prepared for it. So many of us feel like we don’t deserve the good things in life, or like we shouldn’t catch a break. Not true! We are all entitled to have the career we want and live the life we choose. The life and career you have had, has been there and you’ve been doing it. You’re so good at it, you could do it all day long. But, why should you? Be prepared to make changes and improve your life and your career in wonderful and positive ways. Don’t be afraid to make a positive change!

Fear can be debilitating both in your life and in your career. Don’t let your fears be dragons guarding your deepest treasures. Instead, let go of those dragons and embrace the treasures you have in your life. You will find that your career and your life will change in positive and wonderful ways, and you will be on the path you were meant to take.

Until next time...stay tuned!