Life is a strange animal when you think about it. We are all given certain talents and the ability to develop specific skill sets yet many of us just exist on a day to day basis instead of striving to be our best.
What makes one person so uniquely different from another is the drive to doggedly achieve ones goals. Why is it that the person on the top seemingly arrives there through no effort of their own? That's not actually the case, just ask any successful person and they will tell you it wasn't always easy. The main theme you will hear when they speak is how they had to learn to remain focused on their goals rather than their failures. They had to learn to 'stay out of their own way.'
What is the #1 excuse we have for not accomplishing our true potential? Fear. Fear is the primary obstacle we put in our own path to success. So what can you do to get out of your own way and step over this nasty dragon named fear? First you should acknowledge what it is that you are actually fearful of. What makes you hesitate to take the necessary actions to achieve your goal? Is it the fear of rejection that is haunting your success? The fear of public speaking? What about the fear of success itself? No matter what your answer to this question is, naming it is the first step. Once you have put a face on your dragon it's time to begin to slay it.
Now that you are looking at your dragon eye to eye let's look at how you react to that fear. I once was told that if you ask for something and the person tells you 'No' what have you lost? But if they say 'Yes' what have you gained? The answer to the negative response is you actually haven't lost a thing; whereas, if you get a positive response you have gained what you were seeking. So it is how you react to the 'No' that makes the difference.
If you are affected by the negative answer you probably find yourself falling into the arms of your old friend ‘fear' again. The negative feelings that you experience and whether you accept your fear or face it head-on will make the all difference in your success or failure. This friend fear tells you, 'See I told you, you were going to fall flat on your face.' This is what is known as ‘Self-destructive behavior'. However what I realized when I was performing, whether singing, playing the piano, or public speaking is that in the end when I goof up only I know I made a mistake! I learned that as long as I kept going and didn't accentuate the flub no one else ever knew where or even that I goofed. When you accept this as fact you too can overcome this fear. I also realized that my audience isn't there to witness my failure they are there to learn from me. What this means is that they not only 'want' me to succeed but they 'expect' me to. Hmm, novel thought, eh?
So it's time to look at your fears, confront them and release them. Repeat after me, 'Out with the bad; in with the good!' You must alter your mindset! You must kick those fears aside and take that proverbial 'step' outside of your comfort zone. I challenge you to change the way you think. Focus on the positive and don't look back! You too can be successful if you are willing to kick those fears to the curb and keep on keeping on.
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