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The FEAR Method: Navigate Fear in the New Era of Uncertainty
I’m not ready to die!
Adrenaline surged through my body. Sweat rushed out of my pores.
My muscles tensed all over… as I found myself face to face with a mama bear deep in the woods.
I ventured out on a SOLO backpacking trip as a means to overcome my own fears. I was in the midst of a divorce and working through my part of what failed.
I took this trip as a means to face my own mental chatter.
On the third day I reached the most dense part of the forest...
As I turned the corner on the trail, there she was, the mamma bear. Immediately she began charging.
After my life flashed before my eyes, I recalled all my bear awareness knowledge…I knew I could play dead but some backpackers I hiked a few miles with earlier shared that this bear was unusual.
So instead, I took a bold step forward….and charged her back.
My actions brought about something totally unexpected.
And in that moment, I learned something valuable, and something you can use.
In my work with thousands since then, I've been able to turn that moment of FEAR into a system for approaching life's biggest challenges.
We all have bears in our life. We all have fears that keep us from action and keep us small or stuck.
I believe that in facing our fears we can discover freedom.
Because on the other side of fear IS freedom.
Each and every day, we face fears at exponential rates whether it’s losing our job, dealing with chronic pain, or navigating a divorce.
The news is full of daunting stories like war, recession and rising house prices.
Fear is part of our everyday modern life.
This new era of uncertainty requires us to navigate fear in a whole new way.
But how?
As a business consultant, I’ve seen bears show in the form of business owners second guessing themselves, getting stuck in overwhelm, and missing out on huge opportunities because they doubt themselves due to fear.
Fear can derail your goals and dreams.
Fear keeps you playing small.
We miss out when we let fear drive our lives.
When we learn how to work with fear, there’s nothing stopping us from living our dream life.
I have applied the method I’m about to share with you to thousands of corporate clients and the results are staggering.
The FEAR method is also an acronym so it’s easy for you to remember.
Face It:
F stands for Face it. Face your fears head on. Stop denying that they exist.
Instead, accept them.
The first step to facing anything is acceptance.
Acceptance is NOT the same thing as victim mindset.
Nor is it the same thing as limiting yourself.
Acceptance means you aren’t resisting what’s happening. It means you aren’t denying how you feel and you're giving space to acknowledging what’s happening in your life.
One of the most draining things we can do is resist reality.
When we try to deny our fears, it only hurts more. And when we get stuck in fear it keeps us paralyzed...unable to move forward.
Don’t let fear take the steering wheel of your life.
Listen to it. Learn from it.
And put it in the back seat. It’s a healthy advisor and teacher but that’s it. It’s not in charge.
This brings us to the E in the FEAR method...
Embrace Curiosity:
E stands for Embrace Curiosity.
Instead of judging your fear, try looking at it from a new perspective. Consider getting curious about your fears.
What does your fear say about your emotional or physical wellbeing?
Is there anything you’re holding onto there? Is there a lesson you need to learn from this situation?
One of the biggest questions I hear is “why me”?
With mamma bear, I could have asked why me when she was charging towards me but instead I took action.
Asking “why” closes doors.
That’s why choosing curiosity instead is so important. Curiosity allows us to shift from limitation to possibilities. It gives us a fresh perspective where our lives are full and fear is only one small component of that.
Life happens in the present moment.
Fear is future thinking. When we think about the future we aren’t living in the present moment. We are trapped in assumptions that only live in our imagination.
They aren’t real yet and many times our what if’s aren’t even real.
Choose to live in the moment. Take action that works today.
Choose a lens of curiosity.
This brings us to the A in the FEAR method.
Advocate:
A in FEAR stands for advocate.
Life is constantly throwing us curve balls.
From a doctor sharing a prognosis you don’t want to hear to getting laid off to navigating a divorce. In every situation where our fear takes over, we must take a step back.
It’s important that we don’t allow what others are telling us about our future to throw us into a downward spiral.
When my doctor told me I would need a 10 level spinal fusion and that I would be on disability for life, I could have accepted that and limited myself.
But I didn’t.
I wasn’t in denial of my reality. I accepted I needed the surgery but I didn’t accept the doctor’s limiting thoughts about my future. I researched my options to heal.
I found an amazing physical therapist, experimented with acupuncture and many other holistic options for healing.
And guess what?
Working with these various tools and experts worked! I’m not disabled.
In fact, I am constant living proof that anything is possible.
Since my surgery, I’ve skydived, backpacked, traveled the world, and started a thriving business to help other healers.
It took incredible will power. I was constantly advocating for myself. I did my research. I found what worked for me.
I never gave up. I knew there was more for me in this life. And I never let anyone tell me what is and isn’t possible.
This is what I mean when I say advocate.
Advocate for what you want and need.
We’ve covered Face, Embrace and Advocate.
That brings us to the last step in the FEAR method...
Reach Out:
The R stands for Reach Out.
While healing and facing your fears is an inside job, it’s not a journey I recommend that you go on alone. You see when we try to face our fears alone, our fears are even stronger.
It makes it difficult for us to move forward when we go it alone. It takes support and community.
Our worst fears, like facing a bear solo, can make us feel alone and isolated…like we’re the only ones facing it.
That’s why building your community is essential. This is where reaching out becomes crucial to your survival and healing.
Find support groups, friends, or family members that can help you grow.
Share what you are going through.
Allow them to support you, build you up and hold you accountable to the best version of yourself.
Back in those woods standing in front of the bear scared alone I made the decision to charge...and the bear stopped, looked right at me, then hung her head and slumped her shoulders and walked away.
The fear was real.
My heart was pounding, my knees shaking...but I faced that real fear.
And I survived.
The FEAR Method
Follow the FEAR method:
- Face it
- Embrace Curiosity
- Advocate
- Reach Out
And I guarantee there is no bear or FEAR too big for you to CHARGE head on.
Fears will come.
They attack out of nowhere, when we least expect it.
But when you are prepared to face them using the FEAR method, you will now have the confidence knowing you can face anything.
This new era of uncertainty we face today is full of fear and darkness.
On the other side of fear is freedom.
I urge you to choose a life of freedom.
Stop playing dead...stuck in inaction.
Charge your bear head on today.
Need Help with Your Next Bear?
Stop running from the bear in your business. Let’s face it together and build a plan that will accelerate your growth and dreams today.
When I work with companies and nonprofits as a consultant, I bring an objective, external voice to help you:
- Reach peak performance
- Find your profit leaks
- Turn shiny objects into revenue
- Build repeatable success processes
- Discover based on metrics where success lies
- Show you what you need to STOP doing
- Design a state of the art employee experience
- Create a customer experience that results in referrals and raving fans for life
If you’re ready to...
- Take BIG and bold action in your business
- Help your employees reach their full potential
- Grow as a business leader and commit to continuous learning
- Try things outside of your comfort zone
- Reach more dream clients
- Have more impact in your business, community and the world
- Build more revenue
- Improve your lead generation and sale process
- Invest in yourself and your business
