Haven: -noun. 1. A harbor or port. 2. Any place of shelter and safety; refuge; asylum.
In these days of uncertainty, loss of freedoms, and fear, couldn’t we all use a safe haven right now? If you’re like me, you and your family likely have a “happy place” that you like to go to as often as you can. Perhaps some of you have been able to escape there during our shelter in place existence the last several weeks.
Most of us, however, have only been able to go there in our minds. And for many of us, it may be a very long time before we are able to go again, be it physically and/or financially. But it is of the mind where I would like to turn your focus to with this post.
I often say, when given the chance by my speaking opportunities, which are all online these days, that winning the battle of the mind is the most difficult task we all have to overcome. It is also the thing that if we can do, frees us to achieve more than we ever thought possible.
More success, whatever your definition of success may be. More freedom, more joy, more peace of mind. The list is virtually endless. I will emphasize again that this is an arduous task, however one which is surely worth whatever effort and time it takes.
So what are the keys to winning the mind and carrying with you a positive mindset all (or at least almost all) of the time? I’m glad you asked. The first key is to overcome your fear by taking action. The second is to be consistent in your efforts every day. And the third key to carrying a positive mindset with you wherever you go is to overcome the imposter syndrome.
For this week’s post, let’s consider only the first key. I will address the other two keys in upcoming posts. All three deserve enough space to outline my thoughts and give you the tools to use them properly.
Most of us go to great lengths to hide from our fears. We create diversions, we go out of our way to confront them, and we engage in activities to take our minds off of them. Obviously, this is sub-optimal to our overall performance at best. At worst, it can cause such things as loss of sleep, poor choices leading us further from our goals and depression.
There is only one way to confront our fears and that is by taking action. Rather than trying to think ten steps ahead of everything that may be required to conquer our fears, we need to focus on the first step. Once you take that first, albeit daunting, step, the second step becomes a little easier.
I am not trying to minimize or simplify the process. It is scary to start, but you must. If you commit yourself to face your fears head-on by developing a plan of action, not only will the fear slowly subside but suddenly you will develop a winning mindset instead of settling for trying to just hang on and survive.
Overcoming fears with action will also allow you to find strengths in yourself that you never knew existed. Suddenly, you will look forward to new challenges rather than shying away from getting outside of your comfort zone.
How about you? What do you need to take action on TODAY to put your fears in the rearview window? Don’t miss this incredible opportunity for growth? Please leave your comments below and be sure to subscribe and share it with friends and colleagues who need to read this message.
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