Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway?

by Louise Crooks

This subject has been food for thought for a few days… ever since I gave my presentation at the Summer School for Entrepreneurs – Winter Session (feel free to check it out – it’s awesome), when I shared that I’m one who ‘feels the fear and does it anyway’. And that is true to a large extent. But what I’ve been becoming more aware of is that there are some fears we’re consciously aware of, and some we are not.

When we’re conscious of being fearful about something, we can choose to do something about it. If not then the opposite is true. I believe that’s a universal truth for all of us. Whether we choose to work through a fear that’s apparent to us, is our choice. Sometimes as human beings we’ll live in that comfortable space of denial; some of us will be aware of our fears and hang out with it – perhaps putting some avoidance behaviors in place; and some will tackle their fears head on.

Feel stuck? Like climbing a mountain?...

I can happily say that I have dealt with some huge fears eg. the fear of public speaking! Some of you might relate to that. What I realized was that I had an intrinsic desire to be in the spotlight (probably the Leo in me), I knew speaking was a powerful way to grow my business, and also knew in my heart that I would reach many more people who needed my support in growing their soul-driven businesses by speaking on bigger stages. I took a leap! I made a commitment to give a workshop 3 months out, so it didn’t feel so scary and I knew I would deal with whatever came up later. Oooh boy, did stuff come up! In the week before the talk, I had a visceral reaction to my fear. Real fight or flight symptoms. I felt sick, couldn’t eat, everything passed through me like water (too much information?), couldn’t sleep – I was a wreck. Funnily, it didn’t ever occur to me to try to cancel or get out of it in some way. I was in for the long haul – probably my deep desire to resolve this fear and use this powerful tool! Happily I can share with you that after some hypnotherapy and EFT, I was able to give my first talk to 20 people for a whole hour, and really ENJOY the experience. Now 4 years later I’m talking on International stages, and have a successful speaking career as part of my coaching and mentoring business supporting soulopreneurs like you!

I recognize that there are some other deep-seated and perhaps irrational fears that lurk, that I could choose to deal with, but they don’t feel like they’re getting in my way of generally living the life I desire, and I can choose to deal with them at some point when I’m ready. I also know that there are other fears in there that need attention that ARE getting in my way. They have become obstacles to me moving forward in my business, and I’m becoming aware of how they’re stopping me. Fortunately I’m recognizing them by noticing how I’m not getting on with certain programs and projects that have been on the calendar. And I am asking myself why that is. What I’ve realized is that there is some fear stopping me, and some limiting beliefs I’ve created that are acting as roadblocks. AND I’m choosing to deal with them proactively.

It’s interesting because I sense that many of us think that our fears or limiting beliefs are only created when we’re much younger. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re constantly judging, assessing and observing our experiences and when they don’t feel good we make unconscious decisions about those experiences. Of course some of these are deep-seated from childhood, but it is important to be aware that it’s not always the case!

It’s not always possible to deal with our fears or limiting beliefs on our own, in fact, it’s actually unlikely. We also don’t always recognize when we have them. We most often just notice when certain situations feel yucky, or when we avoid certain situations, or when we feel stuck or blocked and don’t know what to do to move forward with a sense of flow again. I am grateful for the fabulous tools and processes I use (with the help of a facilitator) that help me move beyond these fears and beliefs. I am also so excited to be working with a coach/mentor this year who will be helping me get out of my own way by helping me to identify and shine the light on fears or beliefs that I’m not even aware of, so I can move forward in leaps and bounds in my business! Woohoo! Look out for exciting things happening on the KeystoClarity front in 2011!

The question, now is what are you willing to do for yourself and the success of your business this year? How are you going to get out of your own way? And do you think you can do it on your own? If you do, I can assure you it’s most likely going to be a slow road full of struggle to take you to where you’re going. I’m not pulling any punches here. I know from personal experience that we can’t do it on our own – not if we want success easily and with relative speed.

Part of my job as a great business coach is not just to guide and mentor you with exciting tools and resources (which of course I do) but also to help shine the light on those fears and beliefs that are getting in the way of moving you forward. And I’m blessed to have a toolbox of skills that can move you through those fairly quickly, once we’ve identified them. I often have clients share how they had never realized how something was showing up and constantly getting in their way – and they would most likely never have discovered it on their own.

If you’re ready to take that step of being truly committed to your purpose, your mission, your passion, then I invite you to consider working with a coach, to allow the results you’re going for to happen in a powerful way, and help you overcome some of those conscious and unconscious obstacles! And if you would like to explore working with me, I would welcome you to send a message to me through the contact page. I’m going to take 15 consultations in the next couple of weeks to fill an unexpected opening of time in my coaching practice, and I would love you to be one of them. The consultation is complimentary, and we’ll take a little time exploring what’s going well in your practice, what the challenges are, and explore whether working together is a good fit. There is never any obligation, just a wonderful and inspiring conversation. Remember if you want to be one of the 15, get your request in as quick as you can.

In the meanwhile if you’re in cold climes like I am, stay warm and safe! And if you’re not, well the green-eyed monster might make an appearance if I don’t finish quickly! This post was inspired due to a big power-outage tonight due to an ice storm! A silver-lining to every cloud you might say, as it created the space for to devote my time to you.

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