What would I do if I wasn’t scared? I use this question as a way of moving myself along my path when I know that fear is holding me back. Especially, when I know the fear to be ‘ego’ based.
The truth is, with my women’s business, I feel scared all the time. I am constantly in fear as I step into the next unknown, as I ask more of myself and as I uncover more healing or more work that needs to be done. Sometimes, I find myself shying away from something, avoiding a call, holding back from talking about something or procrastinating on taking action that I know is the next step.
When I notice this happening, the first thing I do is practice a little compassion! We are, after all, only human (I wont segway down that path today about the fact that maybe we aren’t just human!). So firstly, I practice a little kindness, but then with a gentle yet unrelenting voice – I ask myself – ‘Tash, what would you do if you weren’t scared?’. Usually, I already know the answer. Then I challenge myself to do it. It’s that simple.
Do I always get it right and get it done the first time? Definitely not! But I like to keep practicing doing the uncomfortable things, and its amazing how quickly they become normal. There will always be the next uncomfortable thing, but that’s the beauty of growth and evolution. There is always the next thing to look forward to, to help us on our path to our greatest potential.
The universe never gives us more than we can handle, so if its showing up in your life, then you definitely have it in you to get it done. This does not take away the fear factor, it just serves as a reminder that you can do it!
The hanging on to fear and not taking action, can actually burn more energy than if you just got the task done in the first place. As a recent example, I held off on making a difficult phone call for over a week. It kept nagging at me, but I was afraid of the potential confrontation (note: only potential confrontation, I was creating a story in my mind), and rather than have the conversation and deal with whatever was coming my way, I resisted and found a million other things to do instead of that call. When the call finally happened, it was nowhere near as bad as I’d dreamed it up in my head, and suddenly my energy was free to focus on the many other things I’d neglected whilst needlessly worrying about this call.
In the last few years, there have been more times than I can count that I have been scared, but ‘done it’ anyway:
- Writing my first blog
- Publishing my blogs publicly and promoting them
- Creating my biz social accounts and webpage
- Holding my first women’s program
- Holding my first women’s circle
- Holding my first 1:1 session
- Filming a live video
- Having my branding photos taken
- Speaking on someone’s podcast
- Selling my services
- Raising my prices
- Contacting someone to collab with
- Telling someone ‘what I do’ for a living
I could go on and on! Many of these things I have now done over and over now and some still make me scared. But its incredible how many I barely blink an eyelid at now, but when I first looked at the task, I was frozen with fear.
I think its been well documented, that courage is not the absence of fear, rather taking true action, despite fear.
Another great point I hear recently, as shared by one of the great stoics of history ‘nothing in life is truely worth stressing about’. At the end of the day, we are here to have our human experience, and there is no need to create things to a point when they become insurmountable.
Here’s five quick tips I have for taking true action, despite that fear:
- Set your intention of the outcome you’re seeking before taking action. Then hold that intention as you act.
- Do the thing you’re most scared of first. Dont wait and sit on it all day!
- Instead of focussing on the consequences, focus on the potential success or achievement that could be realised if you take that action
- Pretend this is your last day/week on earth. Would you do it then?
- Acknowledge the worst thing that could happen from your action, and be at peace with that (resisting it only amplifies the fear – what we resist persists)
Is there something you’ve been putting off, that you’d love to take action on, but you’ve been scared?
If you’re reading this blog, take it as your sign from the universe that it’s time to act!
Go get it. Then tell the world about it!
Live, Love and Laugh,
Tash x
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