The opposite of fear is trust
As I ruminated on this, I realized that much of what happens in my business is governed by fear. Either I'm too scared to create a new program because it might fail, or I try something new but don't fully commit because I'm afraid it might fail. At least if I'm not fully committed, I can't be too hurt when it falls apart, right?
I'm learning not to get too attached to outcomes and to jump in and try new things even if I'm scared. I'm learning that probably most of what I try won't work, but the things that do will REALLY work. And it's okay to fail, tweak, try again, quit, tweak, try again, and so on. And even to finally give up on a project if it's just not right.
And I have to accept the fear of the unknown and the fear of failure and push through it anyway, taking risks and testing the results (something I tell you a lot on this blog when talking about things like the comfort zone).
And this leads me to my theme word for 2014: "Trust."
If everything I want is on the other side of fear, then what's the opposite of fear? What can I focus on this year that is NOT fear (because who wants to focus on that?), but just being okay with some fear and doing stuff anyway?
It occurred to me that trust is the opposite of fear. If I just trust that things will work out the way they're supposed to, that will reduce a lot of my fear.
That doesn't mean I don't still work hard to make my programs and services the most awesome they can be. That doesn't mean I don't keep tweaking when something doesn't work. That doesn't mean I just hope and wish that everything goes the way I want.
But along with the hard work and the audience research and the constant learning, I just have to start trusting that I'm on the right track. That if I keep learning and adjusting and growing, a lot of what I do will be the right thing and a lot of what I put out to the world will be successful. Not all of it. And that's okay. Taking risks is what being an entrepreneur is all about and I knew what I was getting into when I started this business!
Can you do that this year? When you think about all your fears and anxieties about speaking, can you trust that as long as you put effort into caring about your audience, learning and growing and improving, that you will have success?
Please share in the comments: Do you have a theme word this year?
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2 comments. Please add yours! :
Lisa, awesome post. What a great quote too, by the way. I had not heard that one but really enjoy it. And your post has be reflecting, thinking, and agreeing right along with you. I will do my best to join you in the trust factor and let go of fears as they arise. And you're right! Why not just create, have fun, and play? If something doesn't work out then there's always time and space to try something new. Keep on trying and one day hit the nail on the head in a really great way! I thank you for this motivating article and will keep it in mind as I experience 2014.
I'm glad this one resonated with you, Liz! It was a revelation for me, trying to come up with the "opposite" of fear. Things like courage, bravery, etc. But that's not really it! I'm going to work hard on this one this year.
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