One of the world’s best kept secrets is that on the other side of fear awaits something magnificent – and worth the effort!  Passing through even the thinnest veil of fear will increase the confidence you have in your ability to create your life.

A common fear that most people still have is the fear of public speaking.  The most frequent comment I get after a speech is, “It amazes me how you can get up and speak in front of all these people with so much confidence.”  Folks often remark about how comfortable I am, which allows me to be candid during my presentations. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The greater part of courage is having done it before.”  My ability to speak in front of large groups of people, comfortably, comes completely from the fact that I’ve been doing it all my life.  When I was four years old, before developing even the slightest concept of fear, my church let me get up and sing.  That was about 60 people.  But I was four.  I didn’t know it was 60 people; I didn’t think of it as 60 people; I just wanted to sing like Dolly Parton in front of an audience.  Luckily, no one put the thought in my head of “It’s 60 people – are you sure you want to do that - to get up and make fool of yourself?  You’re only 4 years old; what are you thinking?”  Luckily, I had encouraging parents, and a receptive audience. 

That audience, by the way, was made up of friends and family members who were also mostly teachers and small business owners, so a very encouraging set in addition to my parents.  I wonder how many people would have a fear of public speaking today if they had been afforded that same opportunity when they were four years old.

Now try projecting that image onto yourself.  Imagine for a moment that you, like me, started performing in front of groups when you were four years old.  You sang in your church every week for over 14 years.  In elementary school, the hardest part of giving an oral book report was writing it well enough to suit yourself – not getting up in front of the class.  In high school, you were so comfortable in front of an audience, that not only did you participate on your own in every talent show coming and going, but you accompanied (on piano) almost every other participant.  As a result, the judges got to see several aspects of your talent, so you always won.  (Positive reinforcement!)  In college, your easiest class was Speech and Demonstration – not P.E!  A career in public speaking just seemed like a normal, natural approach to life.

Now apply that same exercise to whatever fear you have.  Imagine you started doing whatever it is that you’re afraid of at the age of four.  You’ve been doing it your entire life, and have received lots of encouraging words and had many positive experiences.  As a result, it’s a natural part of your life. 

Remember too that you have to start somewhere.  Whether you’re four or forty, there’s a first time for everything.  I’m having to remind myself of that right now in planning my first retreat.  Christine Kane is a wonderful retreat leader, but she’s been hosting them now for five years.  She wouldn’t be as comfortable and successful as she is today if she hadn’t at some point, five years ago, given her first retreat.

Emerson also said, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”  So, what are you going to do today?

Until next time,

Live fearlessly!

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CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT NOW When you’re ready to take control of your life, you’ll want to purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. You’ll learn my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the Law of Attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do exactly the same.  You can read their stories here.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.” Don’t miss out on this very special offer!

Technorati Tags: Motivational Speaker, Motivation, Retreat, Organize, Success, Law of Attraction, Life Coach, Motivational Books

Posted under Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success

My mother called me yesterday:  “Several people have been looking for your book at Wal-Mart and can’t find it?  Why can’t they find it?  Should I tell them to go to a bookstore?  What bookstore could they find it at?”

Me:  “Hold on, Mom.  I don’t have a distributor yet; I’m still researching all of my options.  They can go to my website or just buy it from me.”

Mom:  “Oh, okay.  Will it ever be at Wal-Mart?”

What a question, eh?  And gee – what a goal that would be!

Today’s advice:  Be careful if you write a book, people expect great (and common) things from you – fast!

Luckily, I don’t allow my mother’s (or others’) comments to get to me any more, but it did remind me of the days when a statement like that would have set me back on my heels a little.  Anger and resentment would be followed by feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

Since I like to blog about lessons I’ve learned in life, I decided to make today’s post about how I learned to become almost impervious to the hurtful, although almost always innocent, comments of others.  How have I grown to the place that remarks like the one above no longer send me spiraling into a self-pity party?

Well, first of all, I realize the comment comes from ignorance and not judgment.  Neither my mother nor any of her friends or family members have ever written a book.  Being very simply country people, I suppose they believe that you finish a book one day, and it’s in Wal-Mart (or the library) the next.

Second, I realize that the result of allowing a comment like that to bring me down would only be what I described above – a self-pity party.  What good does that serve?  None whatsoever.

Third, I quickly remind myself that I’m on my way – this is a journey – and most people don’t understand that.  Others don’t know about my strategic plan.  They don’t know all the research and hard work that goes into writing, publishing, distributing, and promoting a book.  They don’t know how far I’ve come – they only choose to see how far I’ve yet to go, and that’s their problem.  My problem, my only concern, is keeping myself motivated to continue on the path.  How do I do that?

I rely on the magic of one.  One thing, every day, that moves me closer to my ultimate goal.  One item, small or large, marked completed on my task list.  One step, large or small, finished in my strategic plan.  One article written.  One alliance made.  One speech delivered.  One idea implemented.  One issue resolved.  One feature added to my website.  One detail accomplished.  One event booked.  One phenomenal day!

I share my life with a lot of people – I have a blog for crying out loud – and I give you the best of me three times a week.  But no one, not one other living soul, knows my one.  It’s between me and God and is the source of my strength and resolve, and ability to laugh at foolish comments about my success (or lack thereof.)  I keep my one thing between me and God because, well, I enjoy experiencing the magic!

The magic is in the increased self-esteem, the feeling of control, and the power of knowing that universal forces are at work on my behalf when I just show up and do that one thing.

One woman can make a difference.  What’s your magical one?

Until next time,

Live Joyfully!

You can subscribe to this blog here.

Sign up for Retreat Information

CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT NOW When you’re ready to take control of your life, you’ll want to purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. You’ll learn my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the Law of Attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do exactly the same.  You can read their stories here. If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.” Don’t miss out on this very special offer!

Technorati Tags: Motivational Speaker, Motivation, Organize, Success, Law of Attraction, Dental Practice Management, Coach, Consultant, Paperless Office, Motivational Book

Posted under Dental Practice Management, Motivation, Success