Fear.
It
can drive us to take action, but it can also cripple us.
It
can force us to confront our reality, but it can send us into hiding.
We
fear the unknown. We fear what could go
wrong. We obsess over what we fear instead of seeking to take ownership of what
we can control.
We
let our minds wander into the negative, rather than take that same energy and
passion and allow ourselves to dream and turn ideas into a positive reality.
How
do you handle fear? Is it an asset to
you – or a burden? Does it move you to
go after what you want or does it become an excuse for not trying, for not
reaching for the stars?
You
can write your book today. You can market and promote it. You can get others to
buy and read it. Or you can languish in fear and not take even a baby step
towards any of these things.
It
stinks to live in fear. And we do it to ourselves. It’s not all in our heads. Feat gets into our bodies. It permeates our actions. It’s in our words. It
stalks our dreams. There is no escape from fear unless you simply choose to dismiss it and not allow it any currency
in your life.
I
understand fear well. It leads to doubt, procrastination, bad choices, limited
results and a nagging feeling that you are not reaching your destiny or living
a fulfilled life. You look around and know that others are not better than you,
but you marvel at how they got lucky or found someone to help
them live their dream.
But
you can break the fear cycle.
How, you ask? Why should today be any different than yesterday, you wonder?
How, you ask? Why should today be any different than yesterday, you wonder?
Here’s
the thing. Fear is only as real as we
let it be. Sure, there are times,
situations, or circumstances where concern or even fear is necessary. Danger, loss or pain exists all around
us. But that moment of concern should
only last briefly, long enough to make a sensible plan to overcome obstacles or
handle anticipated pitfalls. You need to take reasonable risks in order to
grow.
Even if you fail miserably, get up and try again. Don’t let yourself be held hostage by things that can be navigated, avoided, or dealt with.
Even if you fail miserably, get up and try again. Don’t let yourself be held hostage by things that can be navigated, avoided, or dealt with.
This
doesn’t mean you’ll go through life pain-free or without loss. On the contrary,
you will have more pain and more loss as you try new things, do more things, and
reach beyond your comfort level.
But the pay-off can be worth it.
But the pay-off can be worth it.
So
how can your harness your fear to work for you – and not against you?
·
Take
action, rather than overthinking or being obsessive over possible failure. You
already fail what you don’t try.
·
Seek
guidance from others – family, friends, therapists, or book industry
professionals.
·
Come
up with a list of ideas on how you can succeed – and dismiss listing how you
can fail.
·
Get
some success under your belt to build up your confidence – tackle smaller,
easier tasks first.
·
Envision
success – how it will feel and how it can happen. Meditate for just a few
minutes where you can visualize a clear path to reaching your goals.
·
Rather
than live in fear of the unknown, start to seek out answers and get a better
understanding of where the real challenges live and avoid the danger zones.
·
Enjoy
a few good motivational books and self-help seminars. They will move you to reach for the stars. We
all need a little push and a lot of inspiration.
·
Be
willing to do something that you resisted, dismissed, or didn’t know
about. Perhaps it will work out and
thus, you’ll see that you need to change your perspective of things.
Fear
has little upside in the long run. But moving beyond your fear to accomplish
wonderful things has a potentially huge benefit.
Go for it!
Go for it!
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and
interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of
his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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