Put Fear In Perspective
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Fear is a funny thing. Fear can be very useful. It stops us from touching a hot stove, from going out in a bad area late at night, and basically, from doing anything that could harm us. However, fear can get wildly out of perspective, and, in those instances, fear can limit us.
It is so easy to let the fear of an action overwhelm us to a point where we don't want to take action. Fear of rejection keeps us from meeting new people, so we never form great personal and professional relationships. Fear of change keeps us from trying new and exciting things. Fear of failure and embarrassment keeps us from taking the actions necessary to succeed.
But what is this fear? What are people so afraid of? Why are people afraid of rejection, change, failure, and embarrassment? Usually, people are not afraid of anything tangible. Rather, through their focus, people put a disproportionate amount of weight on these things. People tie a great deal of their security and self-esteem in not experiencing rejection, change, failure, and embarrassment.
This is where perspective becomes so important. If your fear of something is holding you back, ask yourself why you are really afraid, and if it makes sense when put in perspective. If you are afraid of the cold call, ask yourself how your self-esteem, security, or life will be affected by being rejected on the call. Ask yourself how your self-esteem, security, or life will be affected by anything you are afraid of. If you come up with a real answer, then you know it is a valid fear. If not, commit to taking action in spite of that fear.
A helpful little acronym I've come across in a variety of books is F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real. Most of the time, fear is just your own mind holding you back.
Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated! Avish is most commonly called upon to deliver programs on Motivation, Sales, and Communication
For more free articles, downloads, and resources, visit http://www.AvishParashar.com
To learn how to apply the powerful principles of improv comedy to your own business or life visit http://www.ImprovforEveryone.com
