Life is all about FYF – Facing Your Fears!
The other day I was surfing channels on my TV and I came across the last parts of an advertisement which ended with the words – “Darr ke aage jeet hain”. These words stuck on with me and I kept thinking – How true is this! Fear comes up in all of us at some time or the other. Do we know how to handle it? Do we know how to build a business and live a fulfilling life, in spite of our fears? Do we actually realize how our fears hold us back?
Let’s find out as I share my thoughts on ‘Fear Breakthroughs’.
Life is indeed all about FYF – Facing your Fears.
The ability to be aware of one’s fears and conquering them, is the only way towards becoming a successful entrepreneur.
I remember my first roller coaster ride – there were the ups, and at the point where you couldn’t see beyond, came the speed, the adrenaline rush, the excitement of flying high as you rushed down, only to slowly come up again. An entrepreneur’s journey is also very similar to a roller-coaster ride – there are the ups and the downs. But what makes him/her stand out is the way they deal with this experience. Do they get dishevelled and swear never to get onto a roller-coaster again? Or do they get a kick from the adrenaline rush and want more and more of this excitement?
For me, growing my business has been one of my most CHALLENGING experiences in my life. While I definitely cannot overlook the challenges, the journey has been equally rewarding. My business is a catalyst to my growth. Only when I have been able to expand my boundaries on the insides, has my business expanded on the outside. This has helped me own up to the negative patterns and negative fears in my life.
Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the common fears most entrepreneurs go through. The top-most fear which is most commonly experienced is the ‘Fear of Failure’. This constantly keeps us on the side-lines. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, 61.6% of people experience this fear. So, you’re definitely not alone in this area. When faced with this fear, I find it helpful to ask myself – What’s the worst thing that can happen?
Often, we’re guilty of building up unreal scenarios in our head, and amplifying a problem that doesn’t even exist — all because of fear. As Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Be that airplane that takes off against the wind. Face your fears and achieve your goals. Now, gather all your might and courage and face this wind only to achieve greater heights in life.
The second fear is the ‘Fear of Mediocrity’. “I have to be the best!” Infact, “I have to be better than the best!” These are some of our self-inflicted high expectations which may result in unrealistic goals which are not always good. While it is ok to aim for excellence, take some time off from work and ask yourself these questions
- What percentage of your day, do you use your strengths?
- Are you deemed a Subject-Matter Expert at what you do?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Instead, use them as a compass to determine whether you’re on the correct path towards excellence, or at the risk of being viewed as mediocre.
The journey to excellence is marked by your ability to always be striving towards growth — both personally and professionally — and to always be thinking, how can I (or my business) be the very best it can be? These questions will surely help you understand this better.
The third fear is that of ‘Rejection’. “Will people accept me as I am? What if I am judged wrongly by people because of something I said or did?” We all live in a world where we’re constantly being judged by others — so, naturally, we all fear being accepted, or simply put, the ‘Fear of Rejection’. But if we dug just a little bit deeper, we would gladly discover that everything we do in business, is an inside job – where you need to believe in yourself and accept your own abilities with confidence. The more you invest in your own abilities and skills, the better you feel from the inside out – and the more confidence you will exude to forge your way forward and grow your business.
And finally, is the ‘Fear of Financial Woes’. Whether you’re just starting out new or trying to move to the next level, juggling finances is always going to be a challenge and concern — a fear that can make you apprehensive about key-decisions you have to take as an entrepreneur. What will help you is when you take control of your finances and educate yourself on money matters. This will ensure that you always feel like you’ve got your finger on the pulse of your business. Financial ignorance is one of the main reasons eight out of ten businesses fail in the first 18 months of starting out. Getting a good hold of your own financial status, and looking out for fears that do arise, helps you ride the entrepreneurial wave a lot easier.
Remember, the only and best way to transform negative patterns, fears or resistance is to bring it to light…. Expose it without judgement or beating yourself up. Let me share a personal experience! I always wanted to hide my fear from others…and this energy stayed in the dark. I knew I was running my business but nothing seemed to happen beyond the running. Which is when I realized that I need to bring my fear to light. I exposed my fear, was gentle with it and yes, definitely used some effective tools with which I also guide my clients regularly.
Guess what…. the more I shared it, the lesser power it had over me. Now is your turn to bring up what is holding you back! Discover those unnecessary things that are holding you back! What is holding you back in going out and getting as many clients as you can…at the price you want to charge…and growing your business?
Science has proven that by naming an emotion, a block or resistance, reduces its impact and trying to suppress, ignore or hide it, makes it worse… So, identify those fears that are holding you back from growing your business.
So, when I say what’s holding you back from going out and getting as many clients as you want at the prices you want to be charging…what’s the first thing that comes into your mind? You don’t have to be perfect here or try to find the ideal answer because there is no such thing. Everything is the right answer…and when you are able to identify it and write it down, you will be taking your first step in the process of setting yourself free from its clutches.
Let us do a small exercise. Get a blank sheet of paper and write –
_____is holding me back from growing my business.
I want to make sure that nothing is holding you back from doing what you want to do.
After you have written this down, share it and watch your block or fear have a lesser grip on you.
Let us support each other as a community of energized and inspired entrepreneurs. Remember, you are not the only one dealing with this fear.
In business growth, there are two kinds of people – one, that have something that holds them back, and second those that have something holding them back and they just don’t want to do anything about it. I am sure you belong to the first category.
It’s time to unleash your fears and shortcomings. Turn on the power of bringing resistance towards these fears, in your journey of growth.
This is going to be awesome! Hope this helps you identify your fears. I would love to see your comments! Good luck and stay tuned! Remember, Darr ke aage jeet hain!