Be Brave Enough to Face Your FearI am writing this from the waiting room of the dentist’s office… Waiting… Freaking out… Palms are sweating… Heart pounding… And it’s not even MY appointment! My son is having a cavity filled and he seems to be exponentially more brave than I am. He sees the friendly nurse and bravely walks back to the room of darkness…er, I mean, procedure room. How does he do it? He is so brave and I am in awe.
Facing fear is not something that comes easily. We use our sense of fear to guide us for how to distinguish between safe and unsafe environments. Our whole being might be fighting the urge to fight or flight. Yet, those of us who have faced fears and overcome them can also understand the sense of pride and relief that comes when that fear is no longer controlling our behavior.
Yup, I said it. Fear controls behavior.
What are you afraid of when it comes to your goals? Is fear holding you back?
What are we supposed to do about this? Exactly what my brave son just modeled. You face one step at a time. You enlist the support of a friendly and knowledgable counterpart to support you. You understand that this might not be your favorite experience, but you know it will be temporary and that you have rewards awaiting at the end. You get practice with having a better relationship with the fear and earning the reinforcements that await. Maybe, after having done these things, the fear subsides a little and you can learn to tolerate fearful situations with learned behaviors to get you through the fearful parts.
I am not promising any progress at the dentist just by reading this post, but just imagine what you can do with your fitness, your finances, your health, and your family if you stop to think about your fears. And be brave. Be so brave that you face your fears, creating new behavior relationships, and move forward! I will be right here cheering for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment