Does Fear Grip You?

We are all born with an instinct to run away from danger when we feel fear.  This is a built in protection mechanism.  This same instinct causes most people to live their lives inside their comfort zone, avoiding fear altogether.

Successful entrepreneurs understand and embrace fear and what sets us apart is that we take fear along for the ride – knowing that it is all part of our journey to success.

Take Fear Along for the Ride

We are the ones that sit in the front of the roller coaster and hold our hands in the air as we plunge and turn upside down and then we run to the front of the line to do it all over again.

This picture is my favorite ride at Busch Gardens. On days when I am particularly daunted by a business problem, I can get in my car and head out to take a ride — one of the benefits of living in Tampa, and having an annual pass.

I remember being asked in an interview with Rebecca Happy about what fears I have had to overcome as a serial entrepreneur and how did I overcome my fears in order to reach my business goals?

My Fear Shows Up in my Dreams

Truth be known, my fear shows up in my dreams.  The mind is a powerful thing.

I have a recurring dream of being on a ski lift (I hate being cold and I have a fear of heights) and I look down seeing businessmen in suits, effortlessly traversing the moguls and soaring off the jumps – a metaphor for how easy success looks from the outside.

When I am awake, I am not afraid. I have to travel my own business journey and when I see obstacles, I am conditioned and equipped to get over them or remove them or go around them as the case may be.

The funny thing about the dream and the reality is that I AM that business man in a suit, mastering the mountain.

I get over any fear that might try to cripple me by facing it head on and being completely open and transparent about the obstacles that I face and what goes on in my head.

The secret is to shine a light on anything that you fear.  That is what cripples the fear.  It is when you keep things hidden, that they work their dangerous, cancerous mischief on your soul and paralyze you from moving forward.

Shine the light.  Master the mountain.