Transforming Fear into Fuel for Growth

If we are not willing to go to this place, we can only go so far with our entrepreneurial dreams. We can only experience a certain degree of expansion, aliveness, success and fulfillment.

What place am I referring to? The sacred, intimate space where we face our fears and devote ourselves to moving beyond them.

No matter where you may be in your journey of living into your entrepreneurial dream, my guess is that you know exactly what I am talking about. Growing into a big vision calls you forth in countless ways, and sometimes the steps can feel really, really scary.

Fear shows up. And to be honest, it doesn't always feel like a brief visit. At times, it appears that the fear is coming for an extended stay!

I believe that Susan Jeffers said it best when she said, "We cannot escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures."
I couldn't agree more.

So in service of supporting you in this juicy arena, I would love to offer the following tips for consciously designing an empowering relationship with your fear.

I hope they help you to see that you have everything you need to THRIVE through your fears, emerging on the other side with a much deeper awareness of who you really are.

~ Honor your fear as a natural part of the journey As you take the bold steps of genuinely listening to your heart's calling and of claiming your entrepreneurial dream more fully, I want you to be crystal clear about something. It is the most natural thing in the world for fear to show up as part of this extraordinarily rich journey. Why would I say this? Well, being an emerging entrepreneur requires you to stretch way beyond your comfort zones and to step into a whole new world. And I actually mean that quite literally. The entrepreneurial life IS a different world. More often than not, living into your vision will require you to see and hold yourself in an entirely new light, to radically expand your vision of what is possible, to shake up long standing belief systems and ways of being in the world. Clearly no small task, right? That being said, I want to assure you this is magnificent news! It is important to remember that the fear itself is not the problem. In fact, it is a splendid sign that you are growing and transforming. Again, phenomenal news! The struggle ensues when we resist the fear, when we sit in judgment of it or just wish it would go away. So I invite you to thoughtfully consider your current perspective around fear and, if needed, upgrade to a more empowering one. Just imagine what could shift for you when you begin accepting and embracing fear with tons of love and compassion, truly understanding that it is simply a natural part of the human experience and your divine unfolding. What would it feel like to bring this gentle energy into the space? And how might that support you with moving forward in an inspired, effective and joyful way?

~ Be wide awake and conscious in relationship to your fear I want to start by asking us to fully acknowledge what happens when we are NOT awake and conscious with our fear. Let's be honest with ourselves about the impact of avoiding, hiding or glossing over our fear. What is the price we pay for these patterns of resistance? Bottom line, what we resist persists. Whether we are paying attention consciously or not, the fear gets stronger and stronger. And what is the ultimate consequence? We get derailed from our dreams and from becoming more of who we are divinely designed to be. Given this truth, it will come as no surprise that I am going to now lovingly challenge you to start bringing your fear out into the light. No more sleepwalking through these sacred opportunities. Remember that awareness is the key. Trust that by shining the light on your fear, you will diffuse the power and hold that it appears to have over you. Most importantly, know that you are infinitely more powerful than any fear you may encounter, no exceptions.

~ Release perfectionism and embrace being perfectly imperfect As an emerging entrepreneur, the fears about not knowing enough, not having enough and not BEING enough can be intense. Thinking we must be "perfect" and suffering from this "Not Enough Syndrome," we can get trapped in a mode of endless preparation and planning. And I just have to say that when this occurs, it is a total heartbreaker. I am serious. Do you realize that you are meant to live your heart's desires? And do you realize that your clients are waiting for you? It is crucial for you to claim the truth that you have so much to contribute, right here and right now, and your gifts are needed. Furthermore, every step you take in your journey has monumental value that can help you to serve with even more impact and authenticity. So this is your opportunity to respect the reality that we are ALL perfectly imperfect. As you do so, you are supported to move beyond your fears and to dramatically deepen your learning, as well as discover how talented and resourceful you really are. Not only that, you get to see the huge difference you can make in other people's lives even when your inner critic tries to convince you that such is not possible. And THAT is so much fun!

~ Be willing to fail gloriously, understanding that failure is part of success Winston Churchill said, "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Now granted, I will be the first to admit that this may be quite the reframe for most of us! A much more common stance around failure would be that not only is it something to be feared, it is to be avoided at all costs. As a result, we play it "safe." But here is the thing. This approach is actually far from safe. Allowing the fear of failure to stop you can have extremely damaging consequences. And it certainly does not support you with growing into your entrepreneurial dream. Thank goodness you have other options! You can choose to see the truth that failing does NOT mean that you are a failure. You can recognize that failing just comes with the territory of being human. More importantly, it contributes immeasurable value to your ultimate unfolding. And best of all, once you are living in this perspective and the fear of failure is no longer holding you back, the momentum and sense of freedom you feel will be off the charts. You will be truly unstoppable.

~ Remember who you REALLY are When it comes to transforming our fear into fuel for radical growth, I would offer that nothing is more important and powerful than being deeply connected to the TRUTH of who we really are. And while there is so much that could be said in this regard, I would like to highlight a passage from Abraham (of the Abraham-Hicks teachings) that speaks to the exhilarating essence of our core nature. Abraham says, "It is our intention to help you remember that you are extensions of Source energy; that you are blessed, loved Beings; and that you have come forth into this physical time-space reality to joyously create." I feel compelled to repeat this light-filled message. You are an extension of Source energy. And you are a blessed, loved Being who has come forth to joyously create. So, did you REALLY hear that? Do you REALLY see your divine design? I sure hope so. And finally, I want to urge you to remember your inner truth as you step up to create a more empowering and expansive relationship with your fear. Have no doubt as to who you truly are, and have no doubt as to the Stream of Well-Being that is always available to you. Know that ALL IS WELL.