Guts & Grit, Conquering Fear

SHOW NOTES:

On this show…we are looking internally, conjuring up our courage and celebrating our spunk. Because long-term vision takes guts and long-term goals take perseverance and passion. What’s standing in your way? For many of us, fear and self-doubt create roadblock after roadblock; pushing our dreams further from our reach. Let’s push back! Instead of changing our goals and altering our pursuits, let’s remove the obstacles standing in our way. It’s time to pursue guts and grit by conquering fear. 

What is fear anyhow? 1a: an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. So one is a perceived threat and one is an actual danger. Can we make this distinction right out of the gate? Remember, we are removing obstacles from our life’s journey. To do that effectively, we need to be specific. What if you were afraid of everything? Imagine how that would limit your day, petrified from fear. So let’s go ahead and release unnecessary fear. Perceived fear. More to come on that.

I would like to think that I’m pretty fearless. Let me clarify and quantify that statement just a bit using perceived and actual. I don’t like high places where I could fall to my death. Not once has bungee jumping, parachuting, or deep-sea diving ever crossed my mind as an enjoyable pastime option. I’m not a fan of snakes, bulls riding, or wrestling alligators, and cage or no cage, I will not be swimming with the sharks. 

So maybe I should say, I’m quite fearless when it comes to perceived danger. I actually enjoy speaking to large crowds, I’m not shy or reserved, and I believe everyone will like me. Not to sound arrogant in any way. I liken it to a chameleon changing its color to blend in as a way of protection. You see, by believing everyone will like me, I remove any fear of not being accepted. Myself and my ideas. This gives me the confidence to approach anything - from a person to a new idea. 

It’s easy for me to go for it because I believe in what I’m doing and I am confident it will be well received. 

Sometimes, after the fact, I chuckle to myself and think “wow, Kendall - that was gutsy, how did you do that?” But I’m thankful. Being trapped by fear means you short-side yourself from reaching your true potential. 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

Tim Newman gets this exploration started with Dissecting terror: How does fear work? Featured at medicalnewstoday.com

Over at nm.org I found 5 Things You Never Knew About Fear

Josh Steimle gives us some ideas with 14 Ways To Conquer Fear found at forbes.com

James Clear gives us Grit: A Complete Guide on Being Mentally Tough found at jamesclear.com

Let’s hear from Carol Dweck on What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means found at the Harvard Business Review

CHALLENGE: Evaluate perceived from actual when exploring your fears. Chose to release irrational fear avoiding reactions to perceived threats. Instead, explore your goals conjuring guts and grit as you make a commitment for the long haul.

I Know YOU Can Do It!