What are you afraid of?

Last week, I spent time with my whole family on an amazing vacation.  We had all of our children, our children’s amazing spouses and all of the 8 grands.  It was so fun to be together.  We did a lot of thrilling activities including an airboat ride through a Florida swamp, kayaking down an alligator infested river, roller coasters, and virtual flying rides.  We even had a pretty close encounter with a rhino!  Each of these activities caused joy for some and terror for others!  Mostly, I watched with interest as some of the kids were afraid of one thing, while others were afraid of another. I was just a “watcher” of fear, until at the airport on the way home, I got a text from my friend Chelsea, telling me that the podcast we recorded several weeks ago was going to be live the next day!  Suddenly, I wasn’t a “watcher” anymore . . . I was fully in it!  Fear seemed to grip me.   

I’ve been thinking a lot about fear.  That nervous emotion that creeps up and around in our lives.  Gabrielle Bernstein describes it like this: “I’ve just learned that fear is simply an illusion based on past experiences that we project into the present and onto the future.”  To me, the illusion of fear is just the absence of what is “known”. The unknown in our lives is uncomfortable, and creates anxiety.  When we focus on the unknown and try to lead ourselves with fear, we perpetuate even more fear, doubt and anxiety.  We end up not only staying in the unknown, but we actually also create negative results in our day-to-day lives.  

How can we get out of that cycle?  We have to find ways to feel the fullness of who we really are.  We can accept our goodness and feel our own power.  I did some self coaching and realized that everything really was fine.  Whether the podcast flopped, or if it worked didn’t really matter.  I can be happy no matter how the podcast was received.

When we begin to understand the power we hold to manage ourselves, our brains, and our lives, things become a lot better. Leading our lives with joy allows us to move around the unknown and keep moving forward, knowing that all is well. We tend to believe the drama is out there…. but mostly it is inside of us.  This is where Life Coaching can be super helpful.  Learning to manage your brain empowers you to create the life you want. 

So…..  what are you afraid of?