Facing Fears in My Business
Facing fears is something I don’t love doing. Which is a bit ironic, because I encourage and challenge women to face their fears daily. At the same time, I believe that sometimes we need to focus on our own weaknesses in order for them to become strengths. What I mean by this, is that in order to face my own fears and to not let fears control me, I need to make myself vulnerable in front of others. The things that create the most fear inside of me, are the things that I try to focus on the most.
The whole journey of entrepreneurship and starting my own business has been the ultimate test in facing my fears. It may not seem like it, but putting my art and personality out for public approval or disapproval is not something I love doing.
So, how exactly can we face our fears in business?
For me, there are several ways that I choose to face my fears in business. The steps I take to face my fears are:
Acknowledging the fears: putting a name to them and acknowledging the fear that you are facing will help you to put things in perspective.
Naming the root of the fear: this also helps you to put things in perspective and see where the fear is coming from. When you are about to name the fear, you are able to set it aside and overcome it.
Assessing the risks: if you choose to face the fear, what are you risking? What might you gain? Most of the time, the answer to this is positive. For example, if I face my fear of pleasing people, then I will gain confidence. If I face the fear of failure, there is actually a chance I will succeed. I will never be able to succeed if I am not willing to try.
Putting things into perspective: most of my fears come from not wanting to be rejected and not wanting fail. But, when I actually take the time to think about them and put everything in perspective, I realize that my fears are so much smaller than they seem. So what if I fail?
Taking action: It basically comes down to just making a decision to face the fear or not. You are in control of your actions, so how will you respond? Will you continue to allow these fears to control you? Or will you start taking steps to face your fears and take away they power they hold over you? I sure hope you choose the former.
Now, what’s so important about facing our fears?
When we let our fears take over, we become paralyzed. When fear becomes the most important factor, we are no longer able to see the truth. The truth is that fears are real, but they seem bigger than they are. Our fears tell us that we aren’t able to overcome them. We believe that we are smaller than the fears, leaving us unable to move past them.
When we allow ourselves to become paralyzed by our fears, we are then incapable of being who we really are supposed to be. This means we aren’t able to be the business owner we are capable of being. This paralyzation means that we won’t be productive or profitable. We are no longer about to chase after our goals with complete abandonment. We get caught up. We get distracted. And we start feeling like our goals are unattainable. We aren’t good enough to achieve them.
You have now allowed yourself to lose your ability to “do” and are now just stuck believing you’ll never be able to get to where you want to be.
Do you see the issue here?
Our fears are stopping us from being movers, shakers, and world changers. They are easy to hide behind, but they are so much more destructive than you think.
Are your fears holding you back?
If so, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of failing? Are you afraid of rejection? Are you afraid of letting go? Newsflash: failure is inevitable, the sooner you become comfortable with it, the less it will scare you. Also, who cares what people think? You are important, valued, bold, brave, and strong. Enough said. And finally: girl, it’s time to let go. Let go of the fears. They are only holding you back!