Manage Your Fear
Manage Your Fear – There is Creativity Living Beyond Fear
Don’t let fear immobilize you. However, this does not mean you should try to stomp it out entirely. Fear exists for a reason, we just need to learn how to “manage” it.
I found this concept fascinating recently when listening to a podcast of Elizabeth Gilbert interviewing Marie Forleo. Both of these women are fascinatingly creative ladies – I could sit and listen to them all day. Anyways, Elizabeth Gilbert was explaining a concept she talks about in her book:
Big Magic- Creative Living Beyond FearMoving Beyond Your Fear
I found this very interesting and I wanted to share the basics of what I understood from the conversation with you.
So many times in my own life I have let fear hold me back in my health journey.
If I have a busy day for example: I might be afraid I have to eat breakfast because what if there is not any food around at lunchtime (We live in America – like that is going to happen right ?!) 😀. Another “dumb” fear I let creep in on my health journey – I better change my plan to start eating better today and put it off until tomorrow – because today we are going to go out to eat and I don’t want to fail the 1st day. Or how about this one – do you ever do this? I better not get up and exercise early today because then I’ll be too tired this evening and I have a big day ahead of me… I’m sure these things never happen to you though… 😄
😨 Wow! Really?! This podcast really spoke to me on so many levels so let me see if I can explain what I got out of this one piece of her book:
Fear is a Necessary Companion
Often we want to push through our fear, get rid of it, punch it in the face or whatever way we see fit we “demonize” fear.
The concept she talks about is that of fear being a companion. We should not be wishing to be a “fearless” person, because the only truly fearless people are psychopaths or toddlers 🙂 Neither of which seems like a good place to be right?! Dangerous to themselves and others – not a good thing to model, right? 😱
She talks about how we should instead have respect and appreciation for fear. Fear is the reason you are still alive today. Think about the times in life where fear has kept you from harm: A situation that didn’t look safe, jumping when you should have jumped to miss a near accident – all those types of things.
Using Your Fear
Every single one of us can point to a thing that happened in our life that fear has saved us from. For example, I get very fearful when having to drive in heavy city traffic. But at the same that fear keeps me alert.
Fear does its job well, it just it can’t tell the difference between an actual life-threatening situation and a story or idea you have come up within your brain. Creativity will always provoke fear because it asks you to come into and uncertain outcome. Fear hates that and thinks you are going to die 🙂
So when you start a new creative project, be aware that fear is going to pop up. Fear is the mind-killer. Simply tell it that its services are not needed here. (For example, I’m just writing an email, or what have you.) 🙂
I got a big kick out of how she talks about the fear as another being within us. It is just misguided at times as to when it is needed and when it is not.
She talks about respecting fear because it is really important in protecting us. “Fear, you don’t own me. You can come along, but I’m still doing this thing :)” – Fear doesn’t get to make the decisions – YOU DO…
Especially in creative situations or even choosing to not eat the snack etc… (fear will tell you every time you are going to starve or it might be a long time before your next meal etc…)
“Fear does its job well, however it can’t tell the difference between an actual life-threatening situation.”
Don’t Let it Control You…
If you let fear control you, it will shut down one idea after the other – nope don’t do that, nope too risky, nope… One “no” after another and your life will be so much smaller than you want it to be.
I found this very insightful. It really helps us understand why we let our brains talk us out of things we want or need to do. Fear is not evil in and of it’s self, we just need to learn to look through it and see when it is not making rational decisions.
I hope this insight has been helpful in your journey to better health. What fears have you had to “talk yourself” out of recently?
Until Next time – Be Well!