3 Ps for Change

Fear

Noun: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. A feeling of anxiety.

 

I woke in the middle of the night, gulping cold air into my lungs as the panic subsided and I pulled myself upright. My eyes searched wildly across the room, my face wet with perspiration. I reoriented myself and looked up at the stars twinkling down upon my fearful face. Everything was okay yet I could feel the terror in my mind, in my fingertips and fluttering heart. I had slept and lived my nightmare. My greatest fears weighed heavily on my chest as the panic subsided and I began the slow journey back to rational thought. I had only one question on my mind…Why on earth did I think this was a good idea? I can’t do this.

We all know how those moments feel. Whether we care to admit to being vulnerable or not, moments of fear and doubt happen to us all and the strength and certainty of those feelings is terrifying. They convince us that the decision we have made to live our lives differently, perhaps to pursue a new challenge or adventure, make a personal change, chase dreams and face fears is a really bad idea. An impossibility and pointless. The fear inside you tells you to go back to sleep and continue with everything you know. Do not put yourself out there. Don’t strive, don’t dream and accept that you simply cannot do it. You cannot be more than you already are, it only ever happens to other people and your fears and issues will never fade away. Go back to sleep not just tonight but every night and give up.

 

The mental diatribe quietens down. You listen and hear your heart die a little as your dreams fade away unrealised.

 

Fear continues to grow inside you and wraps its icy tendrils around your heart. You die a little more every single day as you push your dreams deep down inside of you away from the light of day. It depresses me to write that out but it’s true and it happens across the world as we continue to live in fear of the known and unknown.

We don’t dare make a change to improve our lives and the lives of others thanks to fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being vulnerable, fear of speaking up, fear of living, fear of dying, fear of love and fear of being ourselves. And that’s just the condensed version of the list.

 

We may as well roll over and give up then? Live in this state of fear and remain the same?

 

Wrong. Wrong, every single time. Always wrong. No, no, NO.

 

But why make a change? Why pull yourself out of the slumber and dare to be different?

 

Because you have Potential

 

You have this incredible gift of life. You are alive today, you can breathe and you owe it to yourself to dance with potential and see what you can do.

 

Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that you really don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is! – Anne Frank

 

Potential

Adj: Having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future

Noun: Latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead into future success of usefulness

 

You have no idea what you are capable of until you try. Yes you might fear reaching out to someone you love, you might fear choosing new adventures, you might fear stepping outside of the house. But if you stay indoors you’ll never realise your potential. Your life with continue to be a What If. Recognising you have potential is everything. It is the open door that you can take to make a change, to grow and see who you really are. Not who your limited mind and fears believe you to be. How exciting is that?!To think that there is so much out there for you to discover about yourself, about the world around you? A lifetime of adventure without and within and the opportunity to be whoever you want to be.

 

As you begin the journey of realising your potential you’re going to need two new friends; Persistence and Positivity. These are two of my favourite friends in my army against fear.

 

Persistence

Noun: Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition

 

Positive (Positivity – Derivative)

Adj: Constructive, optimistic, or confident, with no possibility of doubt

 

It isn’t easy making change, pursuing new avenues and becoming more than you were yesterday but you can do it. You will need to persist and you will need to be positive. Commit to yourself, commit to your decision for change and step forwards every day. Take baby steps if you need to, forget focussing on the finishing line (there isn’t one, life is a journey remember), and believe with absolute positivity that you will succeed. That whatever it is you dream of will happen because you will persist and you will be positive every step of the way.

Of course you will have days when persistence and positivity are hard to find and sometimes giving up feels like the only option. Then what? Step back and listen to your heart. Can you hear that dream still alive within you despite the weariness? Is your intuition telling you this is the right path for you? Yes? Then march on my friend, march on. Have a slice of cake to pull you through, rest, wake up tomorrow and then try again. Do what you can with what you have each day. Smile, persist and be positive.

 

Smile like the freaking Cheshire cat if you have to. It works, trust me.

 

And if necessary turn back towards your shadow called Fear and invite her along for the journey. Accept that you will always have a shadow, you will always have doubt at times but your shadow needn’t dictate your future. Dictating your future is up to you. Go for it. Dream big with unlimited potential in mind. With a thankful heart, positivity and persistence by your side.

 

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will allow my fear to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone I will turn my inner eye to see its path. And where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” (From Frank Herbert’s Dune)

 

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