Overcoming Fear

Fear creates stress – there isn’t enough to go around so we have to grab all that we can, others will steal what we have from us so we need to protect ourselves by any method, “those people” want to kill us so we need to kill them first.

We all know what fear is, since we live with it every day. We are fearful when changing jobs, being called upon to speak in public, committing to or ending a relationship, confronting people, being rejected, etc. Fear can cause us to make a poor business decision or mistreat the love of our life.

In business, some companies use the fear factor in the workplace (fear of not achieving goals, conflict, not being good enough, seeming less than,) to force employees to work harder but achieve lower results. That climate negatively affects people, their performance and productivity suffer, and things go from bad to worse. 

Factors in Reaction to Fear

There are two components to how we respond to the fear impulse: kneejerk and reflective.  The kneejerk response is reflexive, flight-or-fight, fast and simplistic. The reflective response involves taking the time to think and generates a more appropriate response to events. Both processes are happening simultaneously.

When we are presented with a situation, the reflexive option is all about reaction, “shoot first and ask questions later.” We see what appears to be a startling and possibly violent act, and we react with protective, even more violent action.

The reflective response is based on a quick analysis of “what’s happening and why?” Instead of assuming that we have to “fight back,” we take a more rational path. We do our homework, plan how we want to act, reach out to establish communication – lower the stress level and focus on how to achieve positive outcomes.

It’s time to overcome fear with thoughtfulness and facts.  Our first impulse is to accuse people of evil thoughts and actions, while the truth is that “those people” are just as fearful as us.  Branding people is a dangerous and expedient response to our fear, transforming it into anger.

Anger is unproductive.  Business is all about increasing productivity, life is about fulfillment.

Most people are unsure and fearful in these difficult times.   When we communicate reflectively and encourage others to follow that same path, we can remind others that most people just want to be safe and have the feeling that they are not perceived as unworthy but deserve respect.

Be BIGGER than fear.  Promote the idea of taking the time to recognize others’ fears and set the stage for lowering stress and generating mutual understanding and respect.  Reflective helps everyone including the communicator.

#BeBIGGER #OvercomingFear #Motivation #Leadership #iamjuliefriend