Lucy, a successful attorney spent the past twenty years working for a law firm. For years she balanced her work and family life well and savored her time dabbling in the arts and going for occasional vacations.
Now that her twin girls have flown from the nest, Lucy finds herself feeling bored with her work, lonely and wanting to cut loose. Her dream is to quit her job and start a virtual business.
Lucy imagines herself establishing a coaching business working with new attorneys. Her vision is to guide them in their search for the best fit in the early stages of their professional journey. Lucy had not been helped early on in her career and thought that this work would fill an important gap.
Lucy would also get to travel or BE wherever she chose to be and would no longer feel tied down to her home. They had a small beach cottage and with this sort of business she could begin to live a life style she had always longed for.
The problem for Lucy was FEAR!
Have you ever felt like you wanted to take an important next step and that underneath it all FEAR holds you back?
Maybe the fear is about losing income, losing colleagues, clients and friends, breaking out of the known into the abyss or maybe that you’ll fail at your endeavor??
Fear can show up in all sorts of ways like constriction in your body, a gnawing feeling in your gut or feeling of overwhelmed or confused.
Fear can keep you stuck and unable to take vital next steps that can help you realize your deepest desires and potential—in business, relationships and in every aspect of life.
Do you think that lack of action is keeping you small—keeping you from achieving all that’s possible for you?
If so, you’re in good company. Many of us, myself included, choose to hold back in an effort to stay safe. We play at a level that doesn’t feel too risky, because what if we fail?? OMG!!
The truth is that no one succeeds at a high level without taking lots of hits and failing multiple times. When we can wrap our heads around the notion that failure often paves the road to success, we are better positioned to take risks and experiment with new undertakings.
After all at the end of the line we inevitably regret those experiences we were too afraid to take. The operative question is: What’s the worst that can happen if you GO FOR IT ANYWAY!!?
Fear has everything to do with avoiding unpleasant feelings or sensations.
None of us want to feel stupid, ashamed, rejected, unworthy or unpopular. And sometimes taking risks means putting our asses on the line and not having the outcome we hope for.
But here’s the takeaway, not going for your dreams guarantees us that we will not get the result we long for…
The secret is to learn to accept feelings as they arise, even the uncomfortable ones—without having to resort to food, alcohol, television or numbing out in any number of ways.
What action are you willing to commit to this week that will bring you closer to the life you desire?
As always I love to read your comments and thoughts. I read every last one!!
