One of my favorite phrases is "feel the fear and do it anyway!"
It's inspirational, motivational, & a classic in the making -- but how realistic is it? How many people can live and work by this credo? Consider those who we idolize in our society...many of our greatest heroes and heroines did just that, and we collectively are better off because of them.
So how can we apply it to real life, and experience the benefits of stepping out of our comfort zone on a regular basis? This is NOT just about people we consider larger-than-life, or fables, or even movies (i.e.Yes Man).
I was faced with an assignment from one of my MasterMind groups this week: to use the art of storytelling defined in Stephen Denning's "Squirrel Inc" to tell my own story that illustrates Who I Am and builds trust. As a business coach, I thought a bit about which stories would be most compelling for my clients and other people in my life and work. I had a tough time thinking that anything I have done personally merits the use of formal storytelling - it seemed to place too much importance on my little life. However, I realized that I really DO live my life continuously seeking ways to help others, and realized that like any other person on this planet, I have stories to tell and lessons to share. So here goes:
I was taught to play it safe.
My parents were strict, we moved around all the time, lived at what most considered poverty level, and I distinctly remember being the least popular kid in my elementary school classes. I was painfully shy, and I spent a lot of time being uncomfortable in my own skin.
I was afraid.
We moved a lot 'cause dad was in the military, and sometimes we moved in with grandparents, zig-zagging across the nation and around the world. Life was always shaking things up, and I guess I learned to adapt. All my life I never thought of myself as a brave person; I was merely the responsible oldest child. But always I wanted things to be different, better, I wanted more...
Flash forward some decades, and now people often describe me as very different from how I was then. It started in High School when I reluctantly agreed to do solos in band, and in choir, and in church. I was shaking so much that the audiences could hear it in my performances, but I did it anyway. I guess it never occurred to me to say 'No' to something I wanted.
I started considering other possibilities and I started saying Yes to things. I moved away to college in Texas; I didn't know anyone before I went. I lived with a family in France for a whole summer; I had never even talked to them before I arrived on their doorstep. And the first time I ever rented a car was my 2nd week at a job, I had to drive my new coworkers around a very large and unfamiliar city. But I pulled it off. Every time. Probably no one was the wiser, and people started referring to me as brave and confident.
I've lived a LOT of great life this way, knowing I won't choose an utterly bonehead move, and I won't let myself totally fail, and I won't say 'No' just because I am afraid. Actually, one of my best Yes's was starting my own business to help others determine what they want to be different, to say YES and to step through fear, and then to rise to the challenge.
And that's how I got here, doing this, today.
So- Figure out what it is you desire. And then FEAL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY!!