December 15, 2006
Breaking the Pattern of Fear
Because irrational fears are learned, you can “unlearn” them by changing your thought process. Using the same principle as the rubber band exercise discussed earlier, every time you catch yourself thinking about the “negative consequences” of success, immediately change your thought pattern. For example, when you think that if you are successful, your friends will perceive you as arrogant, you should immediately recognize this as a self-limiting thought. Then you can unlearn the fear by thinking, “It is possible but not probable that people will perceive me as arrogant, but that will only happen if I allow my behavior toward my friends to change. I will be successful and I will not change my behavior toward my friends. I control my behavior and my reactions. My success will actually allow me to spend more time with my friends.”
Preparing for success is the best way to overcome both your conscious and unconscious fears. Each day, you should spend time visualizing the new successful you. Imagine your success in as much detail as possible. If you aspire to be a successful executive in a company – an Intrepreneur – picture yourself in a big chair in a large corner office. Imagine your friends coming in and out to see you. If your dream is to open a wildly successful business as an Entrepreneur, imagine all of your employees lining up to shake your hand because you have created a company that has transformed their lives.
When you use this visualization process you are actually participating in a form of exposure therapy. Your unconscious mind does not make a distinction between imagination and reality, so when you imagine yourself as a rich successful executive, your mind starts getting used to the image. The more you expose yourself to a situation you fear, the less potent the fear becomes. You should use visualization several times a day to help you overcome any conscious or unconscious fear you may have that will hold you back on your journey to fulfill your dreams.
Filed under: Motivation
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View Dave Lorenzo's profile
Hi Dave, this is a great strategy, and I’ve also known it to be helpful for people who find themselves getting highly emotional or angry in certain situations. When you think in advance about the types of scenarios that stress you out or set you off, and practice what you’ll think and how you’ll respond without losing control, you naturally diminish the amount of negative energy you’ll face when they actually come up.
Best,
Alexandra Levit
Author, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College
Blogger, Water Cooler Wisdom
www.alexandralevit.com
www.corporateincollege.com
www.getthejob.com/community/blogs/water_cooler
Comment by alevit — December 15, 2006 @ 16:52