Sounds a bit like a contradiction doesn't it? Bare with me though.
If your fear manifests itself in situations that you feel may leave you embarrassed, helpless, alone, or anything other than actually in danger...then this is a great strategy you may find useful.
It's your brain that creates the fear and makes you feel afraid of doing, being or trying something especially if it's new. It is your heart that leads you along the life path you chose. So, what I do is give my brain free reign when I start to feel fear. My brain is incredibly talented at coming up with all of the "terrible" and embarrassing things that may happen if I "take a chance."
"Well then, " I say to my brain, "Go for your life, give me what you've got, the BEST you've got." My very human, non-heart driven brain leaps at the chance with unbridled enthusiasm. All of a sudden I start imagining singing the national anthem at the ANZAC ceremony for school and falling over, forgetting the words, having a clothing malfunction in front of my students (*aaarrrggggg) and all of the other assorted things that may happen. I'm not content with this performance by my brain though, "Is that it? That's all you've got? Seriously?" I tell my brain, and away it goes again imagining even MORE embarrassing and silly things that may happen, I trip and fall, loose my place, forget the words, sing off key, trip and fall on top of a student, throw my hand out for the big finale and accidentally hit the boss who's sitting behind me, somehow getting caught in the flag and it rips from the pole and twists around me making me have a panic attack, then ..... "Oooohh, that's not bad," I tell my brain, "got anything else?"
hmmmm....brain seems to be a little stymied because somewhere along the line of this wild imagining about the potential disasters that could befall me as I stand there tomorrow and proudly, from my heart and with love I sing the national anthem to show respect for the men and women who died to protect my freedom and my right to sing, to instill that respect and understanding in our youth through the power of my voice, I forgot to be afraid anymore. I was having too much fun thinking about all the hilariously amusing combinations I can think of. All of a sudden, the reason I wanted to sing came to the front, the belief and passion I feel forced it's way to the for of my brain's considerations and my heart went, "YES! In your face brain." *laugh*
Sometimes this doesn't work for me, I'll be honest, and I find another way to bring my heart to the fore and shove my brain back into the self sabotaging box it came out of, but in a great majority of cases, letting my brain have free run on imagining the MOST embarrassing, the BIGGEST humiliations and the WORST case scenario it can, actually highlights for me that I have nothing to lose.
You know what, even if I do fall on my face tomorrow, forget the words or sing off key, my heart still won the battle and that's what counts, and really, if that's the worst that can happen...so what? I get embarrassed for a few minutes, then have something to laugh about in my next class.
With love and light
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
If your fear manifests itself in situations that you feel may leave you embarrassed, helpless, alone, or anything other than actually in danger...then this is a great strategy you may find useful.
It's your brain that creates the fear and makes you feel afraid of doing, being or trying something especially if it's new. It is your heart that leads you along the life path you chose. So, what I do is give my brain free reign when I start to feel fear. My brain is incredibly talented at coming up with all of the "terrible" and embarrassing things that may happen if I "take a chance."
"Well then, " I say to my brain, "Go for your life, give me what you've got, the BEST you've got." My very human, non-heart driven brain leaps at the chance with unbridled enthusiasm. All of a sudden I start imagining singing the national anthem at the ANZAC ceremony for school and falling over, forgetting the words, having a clothing malfunction in front of my students (*aaarrrggggg) and all of the other assorted things that may happen. I'm not content with this performance by my brain though, "Is that it? That's all you've got? Seriously?" I tell my brain, and away it goes again imagining even MORE embarrassing and silly things that may happen, I trip and fall, loose my place, forget the words, sing off key, trip and fall on top of a student, throw my hand out for the big finale and accidentally hit the boss who's sitting behind me, somehow getting caught in the flag and it rips from the pole and twists around me making me have a panic attack, then ..... "Oooohh, that's not bad," I tell my brain, "got anything else?"
hmmmm....brain seems to be a little stymied because somewhere along the line of this wild imagining about the potential disasters that could befall me as I stand there tomorrow and proudly, from my heart and with love I sing the national anthem to show respect for the men and women who died to protect my freedom and my right to sing, to instill that respect and understanding in our youth through the power of my voice, I forgot to be afraid anymore. I was having too much fun thinking about all the hilariously amusing combinations I can think of. All of a sudden, the reason I wanted to sing came to the front, the belief and passion I feel forced it's way to the for of my brain's considerations and my heart went, "YES! In your face brain." *laugh*
Sometimes this doesn't work for me, I'll be honest, and I find another way to bring my heart to the fore and shove my brain back into the self sabotaging box it came out of, but in a great majority of cases, letting my brain have free run on imagining the MOST embarrassing, the BIGGEST humiliations and the WORST case scenario it can, actually highlights for me that I have nothing to lose.
You know what, even if I do fall on my face tomorrow, forget the words or sing off key, my heart still won the battle and that's what counts, and really, if that's the worst that can happen...so what? I get embarrassed for a few minutes, then have something to laugh about in my next class.
With love and light
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
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