#48 - F.E.A.R.
The acronym for F.E.A.R. is:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
How many times have you worried about something, an event or a conversation that you thought might be very difficult only to get through it and realize that none of your worst fears materialized? We all do this! It is human nature. It is also a fact that 95% of the scenarios that we create in our mind will never come to pass. That means that almost everything we worry about is unnecessary worry.
How much more could you accomplish if you weren’t afraid? Could you meet your soul mate if you were not afraid to go up and introduce yourself? We create scenarios in our head capturing our worst fears of rejection, failure and embarrassment. We create these scenarios to protect ourselves from both physical and emotional harm. The truth is, no one (at least to my knowledge) has ever died from rejection, failure or embarrassment.
My experience has taught me that once I take the step of pushing past my fear and approaching someone or trying something new, it is never as bad or traumatic as I pictured in my mind! The brain is an incredibly powerful organ that can create some very vivid pictures. We have to learn to shift our thinking from the worst possible outcome to the best possible outcome. When we do this, we free ourselves up to do many of the things we were afraid of doing.
The important thing is to realized that most of your fears are unfounded and unrealistic. By having this understanding, you free yourself to step out of your comfort zone more often and experience more of what you are capable of doing. The next time you are out and see someone you would like to meet, envision that person as being very happy to meet you and wanting to have a great conversation. Remember, they probably have the same fear about meeting you as you do of meeting them!