Is there FEAR in your new sandbox? A bitter phrase that I’m resisting is ‘the new normal’, because I won’t accept what currently is, for what will be. This is temporary in my mind, and in the words of my favorite author, Og Mandino, “this too shall pass” and it will.
The other day I heard Marilyn Sherman, of Front Row Leadership™ say “we need to get back to the new future”, and this resonated so positively with me. I wanted to share that language with you. Return back to the new future is something that gives us hope and empowerment to create what our future will look like. We hold the reigns, the paint brush, the modelling clay … the vision and therefore the reality of what we want to create for ourselves.
Last week I worked with a fearful person who said they “feel imprisoned, afraid to go out of their home, afraid to contract the virus…” etc. I also interviewed several employers who are working at re-opening, who’s staff are afraid to come to work. (I think some people are getting too comfortable with their ‘relief subsidy’, which brings me fear because it’s not sustainable, and it will create a society of complacency and dependency which is a whole other topic for another blog post).
Years ago, FEAR was relayed to me as an acronym for “False Experiences Appearing Real” by Jack Canfield, Founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul.
This is valuable because when I feel afraid to move through something, I ask myself “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Getting to the absolute worst thing gives me confidence to take risks just in case the False Experience Appearing Real actually happened. It rarely ever does, and the courage to move through and create the better experience gives me freedom from what once held me back.
In the lock-down of over two months, we’ve been forming new habits. Some may be FEAR based habits, like watching the news which keeps us in fear. (We need to be informed, but we don’t need to be anxious.) Habits like not leaving the house, not going to work, are going to eventually come to an end if you want to return to the new future. What habits are limiting your growth and development?
Fear could also mean that we don’t know the big picture. We hear the bad news, the negative statistics, but what about the bigger picture?
There is a cost to living in FEAR, and a cost (risks) to move through it. Either way, there’s a cost, so the most effective question would be, “What result do I want?”, and then, “What do I need to do to get that result?”. For example, if you want to feel safe going to work, what do you need to have in place to feel safe? There are guidelines for properly and safely opening our economy for business. There will always be risks, but living in FEAR will hold you back from the results you are seeking.
Read more about False Experiences Appearing Real and an activity that helps you list your fears to gain clarity about what’s real and what’s not HERE.
Wishing you courage and strength to live your greatest potential right now. The world needs leaders who are cautious and courageous, not cautious and afraid.
Be brave, be safe and let’s get through this together,
