On Facing Your Fears

When I was at work, I used to really struggle with waking up - my lovely husband even got me one of those alarm clocks that mimics the sunrise. But still I used to take an age to get going and then spend all day yawning and feeling like I'd been done out of some much needed sleep. But since I've been working for myself, I find I have no such problems. I wake up, I have my cup of tea and I'm raring to go - my mind is full of ideas and I can't wait to get on with the working day.

I don't think I've ever felt this positive at this time of the year, and certainly not first thing in the morning. Feeling happy, confident and full of promise is a very powerful combination - my true colours are shining through and I can heartily recommend this feeling to everyone.

To think I spent so many years being frightened to make this move - coaching helped me to side-step the fear and once I'd gone round it and seen it from the other side I realised it wasn't the big scary monster I'd always thought it was - or rather, it was but it also had its good side. From there, it was easy to harness it for my own ends and walk forwards in tandem with it, up a gentle slope rather than a huge mountain. And now, here I am in the sunlit uplands :-)

When I was coached through my fear (thank you, Anna Lambe xxx) I described it as being big and hairy - Anna immediately got me to think of Sully from Monsters Inc and I realised that fear can be a good thing as well as a bad thing - Sully may be a monster but he's very cuddly and helpful and protective. And sometimes you need a healthy dose of fear to kick start you into action.

Anna then sent me a picture of Sully cuddling a little girl who was dressed up as a monster - and that's when it really hit me. Sometimes, to be bold you need to pretend to be bold first. I decided to put on my own monster suit and step out into life as if I was fearless - and I was bowled over by how easy everything became.

What fears are holding you back from doing what you want to do? Think about your situation - can you narrow down what it is exactly that you're frightened of? Can you describe the fear to yourself in a way that allows you to see the positive side of it? It sounds simple, but it can take a very long time to realise it - a change in your own attitude can reduce the thing that you fear the most to a little pile of ashes, leaving you free to saunter along and enjoy the sunlit uplands of your own life. Why not give it a try?