“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
Sun-Tzu : Chinese general & military strategist (~400 BC)
Finding the Courage Within to Be, Do or Have Anything That You Want
Laura Rose
I have a very good friend. He has many aliases: Fear, Anxiety, Dread, etc. He is very colorful and pops up at the most unsuspecting times. But I didn’t always see him as a friend. For a long time, I saw him as a monster, a big bully. I saw him as very manipulative. He was very skillful in keeping me away from the very thing that would loosen his ties on me.[1]
Sun-Tzu (military genius 400 BC) was very wise and said “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. So, now I treat Mr. Fear as a very close and dear friend. When I bump into him, I know he is really showing me the way to something exciting. He is indicating something that I really, really do want to do. And all I have to do is think it through and away I sail!
For instance: I have dabbled with writing a book on “something”. But my friend cautions, “What makes you an expert on anything? What would you write about? Who would publish you? Who would buy you? What if people don’t like what you are saying?” In the past, I would avoid these conversations by not doing anything.
But now I know that is just his nature. So, I just calmly realize that writing a book isn’t about “being an expert” on anything. It’s just being willing to share your experiences and stories with others. I have already written many articles that can be woven into a book. And I am creating new experiences every moment. There’s nothing limiting about the topics we can explore. And I’m not writing for everyone. I already attract readers that “get me”. So, I will write for that audience. And since they already are ready for what I have to share – there’s no anxiety or hassle involved. As for publishing – we have the technology for e-books. E-books take the dread out of publishing. I already have a contact regarding publishing through e-books. I also have my website and e-zine to share chapters and snippets, etc.
All of a sudden Mr. Fear is off doing something else. And I have renewed energy and purpose. Mr. Fear has done his job for now. But I know I will see him again and again. Because we never stop expanding and experimenting. It’s when we’re treading uncharted territory in our own development and evolution that Mr. Fear pops up. So when I see Mr. Fear, I am now actually ecstatic because it is a sign of growth within me. Since I know that I can eventually chart around any obstacle that he highlights, I look upon him as my scout or guide toward new adventures (instead of away from them).
Mr. Fear has become a very valuable friend, indeed.
If you like this article please let me know. So I can tell Mr. Fear, “I told you so”. (LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info)
Warmly.
Laura Rose
Personal Life Coaching