People often hold themselves back and then wonder why they feel like their spinning their wheels.
The fear of looking like a fool underlies most of our inaction.
One of the reasons why, for example, public speaking is the highest ranking fear is because we’re worried about looking like a complete idiot in front of others. Maybe we’ll get found out as not knowing it all, particularly if someone asks us a question we might not be able to answer.
I’ve seen many people limit their success because of a fundamental fear of looking like a fool.
Somewhere along the lines, we have learned that risking public humiliation is simply not worth the cost!
But if you think about it for a moment, don’t comedians and actors make an absolute fortune by playing the fool? Hey, who’s foolin’ who!?
All that aside, it is important to understand and neutralize your own fears. They block your success, contribute to your frustrations and underlie a lot of daily stress.
Action – Fill in the blank of this statement – the worst thing someone could say about me is ….
When you admit to what that word really is, you will be able take tangible steps to eliminate the fear it causes. You may even find that, with some honest evaluation, the fear is simply an old and now unhelpful habit you’ve just been hanging on to.
(What has been ‘fooling’ you recently? Please share using the comments box.)