Cultivate Abundance in 2023 Day 6: Courage over Fear

Courage Over Fear

What does fear look like to you? How does it feel? I'm not going to lie and say that I've been fearless my whole life. Who has? I've learned to face my fears and found the courage and faith to conquer my dreams through dedication and desire.

I had a massive panic attack during my first teacher training in 2019, which paved a new path for the rest of my life. I am beyond grateful for that experience. I found the courage to choose at that very moment whether or not I would do hard things.

As the saying says, "you can do hard things', yes, I can! And so can you! Easier said than done, right?

So, what happened during my panic attack in 2019?

Here's how the story went. I was smack in the middle of my first yoga teacher training, living a life of fear, anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and so on. It's natural to live this kind of life, and I was pretty good at it. I crashed through every single wave, and I still was barely holding my head over the surface.

During a yoga class I was required to attend as a student, my educator asked one of the students to get up in front of the entire yoga class and teach a portion of the flow. Right then, panic filled my body! I began layering up with frenzy and dread. I couldn't breathe, my stomach was more upset than ever, my heart rate was erratic, and my fight-or-flight alarm went off the charts. I began to cry and begged my educator not to call on me. I wasn't ready! I was smack in the middle of one of the most significant fundraiser events at my daughter's school, and I carried so much hustle for that event. I didn't have much time for this yoga teacher training. I showed up, for sure. Was I presently immersed? It could be enough to get by.

My educator held so much compassion and empathy for me that day. She didn't call on me. I went home and, right then and there, decided I needed to find the courage and strength to overcome this fear of stage fright. It was so much more than just stage fright, though. I had feelings of not being good enough, and the fear of failure was readily there to take charge.

I began to do the work. Have you heard of the authors Gabrielle Bernstein & Brene Brown? I love them!

Gabrielle Bernstein has an abundance of books for creating self-worth. She's amazing! Here are a few of her books.

The Universe Has Your Back was the first book I read, which was a super awakening moment for me.

Brene Brown - I have every book listed here, and probably more. She's amazing!

If you live in a fear-based mindset, like I was back in 2019, pick a book or two, and see what you learn.

I'm not saying that I am fearless now. I still have challenges with self-worth. I struggle with it daily, but I'm working on it. The barriers I broke through to get the courage I have now are bountiful.

Our strengths are under the surface and waiting to be revealed.

What do you fear most that you want to overcome?

In my 20s, I used to run away from my fears so much that when something hard came my way, I would run, especially in my drinking days. I quit more jobs than most could even obtain in their lifetimes. I never kept commitments or relationships, and I became untrustworthy because of it. I've had more jobs/careers than anyone I know, all before I was 30. I loved learning new skills but would quit if it got hard. These are not the best qualities to have.

My past weaknesses developed the strengths I now have today. I found the courage and faith to believe that I deserve more. I met my husband, and he stuck around. I wasn't fearful of him leaving me. I trusted that it would work exactly the way it should. I let that fear go.

My husband always laughed at me, calling me a wild stallion. I was a wild mare. He helped tame my wild side. What surfaced is a courageous, empowered human with superpowers! Just kidding, I'm still working on those superpowers.

Now, I can get on stage and talk to hundreds of people. I can teach a yoga class to a big group of people I don't know. I can do a live podcast episode and make it live on Facebook too! Crazy right?! It may seem easy for many, but it was hard for me.

Fear still exists in each of us. That will never go away. Fear drives us from complacency to determination! Face your fears to achieve success!

I just learned this again recently as I am trying to navigate starting a business. I have had a lot of fear. The words "what if" move through my mind all the time. "What if nobody signs up? What if nobody likes my challenges? What if I don't have any followers?" Two psychics told me the same thing in different words and contexts.

One psychic said I should switch my mindset from the fear-based, ego-driven mentality, only looking for external validation and acceptance. She told me to go within and find what lights me up. Not what holds me in the backseat with fear in charge of the wheel.

The other psychic reminded me that I was looking at this exciting new business adventure through fear. I had been thinking, "what if nobody signs up? What if nobody likes me? What if I don't have any followers?". I should have looked through a different perspective and thought, "What if people do sign up?" Even if it's just two people, it's an opportunity to share. Those people will tell others, and before we know it, we have something magical happening.

The universe will give when you are ready and have faith. You are the only one holding you back from your potential. Don't let fear be the reason!

Here's how you can overcome a fear-based mindset and switch to a perspective of "What if I can!?"

1) Always maintain a positive, healthy perspective. Leave the negative thought patterns behind.

2) Acknowledge your strengths. We all have our toolbelt of strengths. Please take what you're good at, develop & strengthen them to assist you with any challenges. You will build confidence in knowing you can do anything!

3) Envision the outcome of each side of your decision. See what it would be like not to do the challenge because fear was holding you back. Also, see what it would look like if you did! The answer is in the feeling of the vision.

4) Leave your comfort zone. Begin with the little things that bother you—going to lunch alone, taking public transportation, seeing a movie alone. There are limitless ways to leave your comfort zone.

5) Reduce stress. Stress shows up in everything we do in life. Stress brings our mindset from happy to sad, empowered to unworthy, and so on. Let the pressure go away!

6) Celebrate your wins! If you accomplished something hard, celebrate! Pat yourself on the back, and thank yourself and the universe for tackling that challenge.

7) Accept failure. There is not one person who has never experienced loss or disapointment. It's a part of our human experience, and we wouldn't have the drive to be better if we didn't dare to try. Sometimes we have to keep trying! It's all part of the plan!

Here is where I found these great tips!

https://www.verywellmind.com/7-ways-to-feel-more-courageous-5089058

The next time you are at a crossroads and have a choice, choose courage. Huge benefits come from stepping outside our comfort zone and taking the more difficult road. The rainbow exists at the end of courage.

I hope you learned something new today, and if you know someone who can benefit from reading this thread, share it away!

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