How often does someone let fear stop them from achieving their best self? Many people have the mistaken belief that if fear shows up it means they are doing something wrong.
Fear is a part of life. It can contribute to us really experiencing the “juice of life” in a big way.
One and the Same
Did you know that fear and excitement often show up as the same feeling in the body?
It has been said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to feel fear and move through it anyway.”
Mistakenly, people can look at someone who seems to have no fear and assume they just fly through life taking risk after risk with no limits to what they will accomplish.
Actually, the opposite can be true. Rather than having no fear, they feel the fear and do the “thing” anyway.
No Fear is an Illusion
On more than one occasion I’ve had people comment how nice it must be for me to not have fear when I have accomplished something. I hear this all the time when I get on the platform to speak.
After an “in the zone” presentation I often have at least one person who say, “Wow! You’re so lucky you were born with that skill and you obviously have never had fear around speaking.”
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I have plenty of memories of how fear almost stopped me flat in my tracks.
It’s the same with other things I’ve accomplished. Many times I would be in the middle of fulfilling a dream or goal and at the most inopportune time fear reared its ugly head.
When this happened I would think, “What the “*?%*+%*” was I thinking to agree to do this?”
But rather than let the fear stop me, I would figure out how to work around it, go through it or knock it down completely.
After I would get through the fear, more times than not the outcome was incredible.
Push Yourself
Not just in business, but in my personal endeavors too. One of the personal accomplishments was the 
2015 Eugene marathon. I participated as a gift to myself for my 61st birthday.
Yet, during many training days I wondered why I had made the commitment. Not only did I make it to myself, but to dozens of people who sponsored my participation in the marathon by donating for two animal rescue organizations.
I recall one specific time fear almost took over. During the 16th mile of the marathon, when my body wanted to quit, my heart and soul thought, “I can’t quit. I won’t let all those people down and most of all, I won’t let myself down.”
I also thought of my mom throughout my first full marathon that took place on Mother’s Day 2015. I just knew she was looking down from the heavens. I could hear her voice saying, “You got this. You got this.”
I dug deep to find the strength to go on and I finished. Not a world record holder by any stretch, but I crossed the finish line.
Over the years, I have done this with many challenges, both personal and professional. Rather than give up, I had to find that place inside to dig deep.
Here’s the deal, when you push your own limits, not only do you learn more about what you are made of, but others notice what you’re doing.
Character is Power
Opportunities do show up when others notice what our character is. On the flip side, many opportunities are lost when we show what we are not made of.
The reality is this; people do notice how we handle fear. It’s not that they expect us to not have fear. Nope, it’s in how we handle ourselves when fear becomes our garment of the day, opportunities are either made or taken away.
Some people believe all would be perfect if opportunity presented itself in a nicely wrapped package with a beautiful bow on top. In reality, opportunity often presents itself with some of our greatest messes and challenges.
It’s definitely not what happens that matters, but how we handle it that makes all the difference.
Want to “hang out” with others who are making a difference and not letting fear get in the way? Check out Power Up for Profits Community Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/PowerUpForProfits/
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