The ” F” word that stops you from succeeding.
One letter in the alphabet could be standing between you and success.
If I asked you, what stops you? Many of you listening would respond to the question, you. The reality is that the answer is not you. Fear stops you from realizing your dreams and what you want. Yes, Fear prevents you from moving forward. When we face Fear, we fight, take flight, or freeze.
I was a part of a webinar discussing the stumbling blocks for many falling short of their dreams and goals. Yes, Fear is the one thing standing between you and the life you want. It’s easy to fall into the Fear trap. It’s convenient for our minds to focus on what’s wrong in the world versus what’s right. Think about today, Inflation, competitors, supply chain issues, the economy, and the threat of a recession feeds our minds with Fear and what’s going wrong around us.
Our brains are programmed to protect and defend us from harm. We tend to focus on a strategy that includes a plan for the worst and hoping for the best. I am not saying that this is not an option. What if you made one slight shift and concentrated on what is right? What is possible?
What if you could replace the word “F” word Fear with Focus?
Let me ask you a question. Think about something you want to achieve in your life today.
Is it better health? Financial Freedom? A new career? A meaningful and loving relationship?
If you are in sales, Is Fear creeping into your mind and keeping you from gaining more new clients? In your mind, you have all the reasons why they have not called you back or that they must be happy with their current vendor. Most give up trying to connect with a new client after three attempts when it takes eight to ten.
If you believe your client can benefit from meeting with you, stay committed until you meet them. You are close to earning that meeting if you stay focused on seeing it through.
This example of Fear versus focus will make sense if you play golf. At the Losantiville, the Country Club I belong to has water you have to shoot over to get to the green. Most people I play with say I think I will lay up short of the water because I am afraid my ball might go in ( Fear). Some players will even pull out an old ball on the chance it goes in the water. Why? Doubt creeps into your mind, and guess what? In most cases, the ball does go into the water because that is where we put our focus.
How would you approach this situation? Because where you focus, it will go. I focus on the green versus the water. I see a 145-yard shot from the fairway headed to the green and take the water out of my mind.
I was thinking about a book written in 1908 I read by Napoleon Hill. His book, Outwitting the Devil, further supports why some of us are more successful than others. This is where I learned more about my Other-self.
I believe he is one of the best teachers who discovered what stops most of us from succeeding when facing setbacks. He called this the ” Other-self.” The Other-self recognizes no limitations and always finds a way to accomplish desired results. We may meet with temporary defeat but not with permanent failure.
You are learning to tap into the ” Other-Self,” which will teach you how to overcome obstacles, and master difficulty, instead of being mastered by them. That there is a solution for every legitimate problem, you face. He explained that every experience of temporary defeat, every failure, and every form of adversity is met with an equivalent benefit.
Fear is a state of mind, and so is your focus to become fearless. Having the faith that the journey you’re on is here to teach you something. It’s time to choose the life you want to live versus the I wish I would have life. I wish I would have traveled more, lived a healthier life, changed careers, and loved more.
It’s decision time!
Decide that you will stretch the “Other-self” to keep learning and moving forward with a sense of urgency. Silence the critics that say you can’t do it. Feed your focus with possibility, not your fears. Remember, your focus goes where your energy flows.
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