As a creative or performer, I suspect that there are times that you find yourself feeling challenged to stay engaged with your projects, to persevere, to hang tough and not give up. Persistence is often an ongoing challenge, one that, if not managed well, can lead to creative stagnation and a falling short of achieving your creative and business goals.
In
this video I share 3 Powerful Steps towards becoming mentally tough
through persistence. I hope that you enjoy it and find it valuable!
If fear creates obstacles in your life, performance or business, I hope that these 10 tips are valuable during times of feeling extreme anxiety and panic.
1.
If you feel frightened, unreal or unsteady – it does not matter. These
feelings are nothing more than an exaggeration of your body’s normal
reaction to stress.
2.
Just
because you have these sensations doesn’t mean you are very sick. These
feelings are just unpleasant and frightening, not dangerous. Nothing
worse will happen to you.
3.
Let your feelings come. They have been in charge of you. You’ve been
pumping them up and making them more acute. Stop escalating the
feelings! Don’t run away from panic. When you feel the panic mount, take
a deep breath and as you breathe out, let go. Keep trying. Stay there
almost as if you were floating in space. Don’t fight the feelings of
panic. Accept it. You can do it!
4.
Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible without escaping. If
you are on the street, lean against a post or store wall. If you’re in a
store, tell the sales person you don’t feel well and want to sit
awhile. Do not jump in your car and go home in fear.
5.
Stop adding to your panic with frightening thoughts about what is
happening and where it might lead. Don’t indulge in your feelings and
think, “Why can’t I be like all the other normal people? Why do I have
to go through this?” Just accept what is happening to you. If you do
this, what you fear most will not happen.
6.
Think about what is really happening to your body at this moment. Do
not think, “Something terrible is going to happen. I must get out.”
Repeat to yourself, “I will not fall, faint, die, or lose control.”
7.
Now wait and give the fear time to pass. Do not run away. Others have
found the strength. You will, too. Notice that as you stop adding to the
frightening thoughts to your panic, the fear starts to fade away by
itself.
8.
This is your opportunity to practice. Think of it that way. Even if you
feel isolated, one of these days you will not feel that way. Sometime
soon you will be able to go through the panic and say, “I did it.” Once
you say this, you will have gone a long way toward conquering fear.
9.
Try to distract yourself from what is going on inside you. Look at your
surroundings. See the other people on the street, in the store. They
are with you, not against you.
10.
When the panic subsides, let your body go loose, take a breath, and go
on with your day. Remember, each time you cope with panic, you reduce
fear.
I wonder if you have ever found yourself needing to be creative, yet felt a lack of self-confidence in taking risks and trying something outside of your ‘comfort zone’?Many of the coaching clients that I work with struggle with their creative process. Whether they are in business, are an artist, entrepreneur or performer of any type, their ability to remove obstacles to creativity is foundational to moving forward with success.
This video is for anyone who, in any situation that requires creativity, experiences self-doubt and anxiety that leads to feeling stuck and unproductive. Click here to watch.
It has been said that
dependency obliterates individual identity, i.e., the more
dependent you are on what others think of you, the less of an individual
identity you will have. The more you fear being rejected, the less creative and
successful you will be in your business, in any performance situation, as a
creative and in life in general.
Yet, to truly feel
confident and to experience less anxiety in any area of your life, steps must be
taken to move beyond emotional dependence and towards what I call emotional
independence.
Let’s take a look at 5 steps to grow towards healthy emotional independence.
♦ Accept
your Uniqueness
Do not be afraid to
be different! I suspect that you are often afraid to stand out from
others. It feels so much safer to just ‘blend in’ and to not take the risks
that are necessary to move forward in life. “What if no one likes my new art
piece? What if my performance as a musician is not received well? What if my friends
reject me if I have different opinions or beliefs?” This fear-based self-talk can
go on and on until there is no unique YOU left! Yet, to live a life of happiness and to be successful
in any endeavor you approach, It is crucial to discover and
celebrate how unique you are.
Do not be afraid to
be different – accept your uniqueness.
♦ Lose
Your Fear of Perfect People
If you find a perfect
person, please take a photo and send it to me, I would love to meet them!
Perfect people Do… Not… Exist. What exists are false fronts, people who look
perfect, who look like they’ve got it all together. They might be really
eloquent when they talk or are so at ease at a party. At church they appear so spiritual
and seem to really be self-confident. Oh, you wish you could be like that. Look at how creative they are compared to you. You
tell yourself that you are so far below them and that you will never be as good
at this or that. This message that you give yourself gets very, very discouraging.
Part of the journey in becoming emotionally independent is working on changing this
false belief that it is possible to be perfect or to be like
someone else. The fact is, you do not want to be like someone else. You do not want to lose
yourself to something, or someone, that you feel you should become.
It is time to stop
comparing and to lose your fear of perfect people.
Anyone who is in a performance situation and feels pressure can experience stage fright. This can be as a performing artist, business speaker or even having to give an announcement at church.
Stage Fright affects public speakers, creatives, musicians and even
entrepreneurs who use public presentations or video to build their
businesses.
The following is a video that I created that will be a part of a new upcoming Program, The Great Creativity Toolkit, which should be available in a few months. I though it would be valuable to give you a sneak peak at one of my videos that will be included in the Program. I hope that you enjoy it and find it valuable! (Just click on the image belowto begin the video)
“There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-term risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” – John F. Kennedy
The 2 most dangerous, paralyzing words for performers and creatives (and in almost every aspect of life) are:
“Be careful.”
To
live ‘safely’ is to run your life without spontaneity and creativity.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that the ONLY path to success in
life is giving yourself permission to ‘take chances and risks’.
“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75.” – Ben Franklin
When
asked what they would do differently if they had their life to do over
again, most of fifty adults 95 years and older replied that they would risk more.
How
many times have you wanted to take a risk or meet a challenge in your
business, in a performance situation or in your personal life, but were
too afraid to? The following quote is a guiding principle in the
coaching work I do with my clients.
“Change and growth takes place when a person has risked themselves and dared to experiment with their own life.” – Herbert Otto
In what area of your business or career are you currently afraid to take some risks?
In what performance situation are you afraid to venture out and try something new and unique?
In what areas of your personal life are you afraid to take a chance?
Sam Walton once said,
“Swim
upstream. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody is doing it one
way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly
the opposite direction. But, be prepared for a lot off folks to wave you
down and tell you you’re headed in the wrong direction.”
Discover what your career, business & life would look like if you were not afraid of public speaking.
The ability to present and speak without fear is CRUCIAL to your success in business.
If you get stressed giving a virtual or on-site presentation, experience fear when promoting your services or new product on a Zoom call or Facebook Live, then signing up for this Free Webinar is just what you need!
