Two Tips on How To Navigate Fear
I'm curious, if you had to rate on a scale from 1-10, how afraid were you the last time you took a big risk in your life?
When I was 17 years old, I went to Hawaii for an invitational volleyball tournament, where, thankfully, we did more beaching than volleying. One afternoon, our coach took us to a beach where you could climb to the top of a cliff, and jump into the ocean.
I watched others scurry up the cliff, leap into the water, and moments later bob right back up to the surface laughing. The water was clearer than I'd ever seen and it looked so fun to me. So I climbed up feeling pretty confident and excited. Then, as I got to the top, right before it was my turn, my heart started pounding in anticipation. I felt fear, which had me hesitate at the edge to make additional assessments.
I knew the water was deep enough. It really wasn't that far down… I'd seen others jump and come back up just fine, so I had proof it would work. And yet, the fear remained. I finally took a deep breath and catapulted myself off the edge and into the depths. It was exhilarating. We spent the next hour climbing and jumping like little adrenaline junkies, as the remnants of fear dissipated with each jump.
In entrepreneurship we hear phrases like, “Leap and trust that the net will appear.” It takes a blend of courage and blind faith to face risks over and over again. I think about that cliff when I hear that phrase, and wonder, “If I couldn't see what was below me, would I have jumped?” The answer is no. Absolutely not. I do not have a death wish.
Thankfully, risks in business are less life or death - despite our fear being unable to make that differentiation as clearly as our logical minds can. We have an idea - a new product we want to create, a new direction for our business - and we start the climb to the top so we can take the leap. The climb isn't so bad. It's even exciting. It's when we're standing at the edge, right before we're supposed to jump, that we're met with the fear and hesitation.
In full transparency, that's where I've been the past week.
Two weeks from today, on May 17th, I'm opening the doors to something I've been working on for months - The JAVA Method membership. It's brand new, I'm really proud of it, and I genuinely can't wait to fully share it with you. I've been dreaming of the ways it will help so many women show up fully and boldly in life, and I'm excited for what's to come.
While I've been working on it, I've felt incredibly aligned and intuitive. As the launch date gets closer, the voice of fear has naturally been getting louder. Doubt has been showing up on my doorstep more frequently. My inner imposter has attempted to have open mic nights and I have felt the uncertainty. These things were to be expected. In fact, if it wasn't happening, I'd question whether or not this actually means anything to me.
Anytime we take a risk, there's a chance of failure. And no matter how prepared we are, there will always be things that are outside of our control.
So how do we navigate the emotions and thoughts that come before we leap? How can we make sure to jump in wholeheartedly, so that we'll at least be able to say we gave it our best?
I've found these two things to be the most helpful for me as I'm navigating the uncertainty:
1. Presence
Viktor Frankl once said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” In order to become aware of that space, we have to practice being present in the moment. In this case, fear or doubt would be the stimulus. A fear thought pops up, and since we're present, we have the ability to acknowledge that thought without it completely taking over. We get to choose our response. Our fear's main goal is to keep us safe, and it often underestimates us. When we're present, we can notice that fear, and remind ourselves that we're completely capable of handling the outcome, whether it be success or failure.
Exercises that help me practice presence are meditation, EFT, and being mindful as I do certain things like walk, cook, etc. during the day. Next time you take a walk, pay attention to your surroundings. Are the flowers blooming where you are? What colors are they? How do they smell? What does it feel like to witness them? It's as easy and difficult as that.
2. Joy
You do not have to earn joy. You do not have to prove yourself worthy of joy. You do not have to wait until you've reached some arbitrary measure of success in order to finally experience joy. Joy is readily available to you now, and I highly recommend you start cultivating it in your daily life.
Years ago, I'd unconsciously forebode joy as I worked towards my goals. I was worried that if I felt joyful in the moment, then I wouldn't have the motivation to pursue the dreams I had for my life. What a costly limiting belief! I finally woke up to that lie, and realized that it would be a much wiser choice to build my dreams on a foundation of joy and fulfillment, rather than fear and anxiety.
In his book, The Heart Aroused, David Whyte says, “The alchemists maintained that we can create only in our image. That is, everything takes form according to the consciousness that shaped it.” If you create from a scarce and fearful place, that's the form your creation will take on. Choose joy instead. Our world need so much more of that.
Allow yourself to enjoy the process of creating your life and business. For me, choosing joy looks like following what inspires me in my work. It looks like having boundaries in place, and prioritizing my health. I've been reading a lot of fiction, trying new recipes, taking walks, playing, etc. And it's felt a little weird because it's newer, and really nice at the same time. I'm committed to enjoying my life NOW, so that any success that comes can just be extra fun to experience! And it's lessened my fear of failure, because I trust myself enough to handle it and move forward.
Next time you're getting ready to take a leap of faith in your business, and fear gets really loud as you get close to the edge, remember to be present and prioritize joy. You already deserve that.
INTERESTED IN WORKING TOGETHER?
If you're ready to take your life and business to the next level, without stress and burnout, it's time for you to seriously prioritize your mindset. Let's work together on that! Click the link below and apply for a call where you and I can talk through all the details to see if it would be a good fit. I'm so excited to see the growth that's ahead of you!