You've probably heard the saying, "There's nothing to fear but fear itself."
Just push past it and go do that thing you're afraid of, right?!
Sounds great coming from a motivational speaker. But the truth is fear of all the "what if's" can be truly terrifying, paralyzing, and painful. As a result, it's easy to get stuck hiding behind your fears for a long time - maybe even forever.
So what do you do when the end result of listening to your fear and doing nothing is worse than the actual threat itself? You face it knowing you'd rather die of embarrassment living your truth than live forever with it buried inside of you.
Here's a very real, relevant example of a fear I'm facing in my life.
Fear: I worry people will think I'm weird, crazy, or unprofessional for working with, playing with, and writing about rubber ducks.
I've been known for a LONG time as a serious, focused, business owner and professional. I'm hired as a speaker, coach, or consultant for my expertise as an expert in both my industry as well as business and marketing. Waddling out on a ledge to espouse my love for racing toy waterfowl is a little scary, to say the least. Fact: The Dream Team (pictured) & the rest of the ducks make me smile and laugh.
Since they've become a part of my reality, I'm more creative, spontaneous, and joyful. No matter my mood, if I take a few moments to tune in to how they would approach whatever is going on, they either offer some light-hearted advice or make me forget about the problem. You would not believe how inventive they are!
The ducks also make others laugh and smile, which I see as an extension of my personal and professional mission to help others succeed in life and business. This lights me up and adds an even deeper reward to an outwardly frivolous pursuit.
Evidence: This pic taken yesterday.
I dare say this is the best photo of me in a decade, perhaps longer. The glow and happiness radiating inside and out are absolutely real and reflect my giddiness at getting the ducks into the action at the end of a multi-hour photo shoot.
Conclusion: What I think of myself and how I feel by living my truth are far more important than what others think and feel about me. Time to let go of worrying about it and embrace this brightly colored part of myself.
Some may still choose to call me "the crazy duck lady" - though I'd prefer "the Duchess of Duck. But for anyone who thinks I'm actually crazy, my new response is: Duck off!
A million thanks to Cathy Murphy Jordan for this amazing pic! The Dream Team and I are so grateful!