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Facing the Fear

Guest post by: Jim Stovall

Article Overview: Fear is the number one obstacle and barrier to all success. Often we are fooled into thinking that top performers are people who feel no fear. The reality is that champions feel the fear and perform in spite of it. Shortly after losing my sight, I faced a fear that I had never before imagined. The only way to avoid everything that I was afraid of was to move into a little 9-by-12-foot room in the back of my house. This small room became my entire world.

Facing the Fear

Fear is the number one obstacle and barrier to all success. Often we are fooled into thinking that top performers are people who feel no fear. The reality is that champions feel the fear and perform in spite of it.

Shortly after losing my sight, I faced a fear that I had never before imagined. The only way to avoid everything that I was afraid of was to move into a little 9-by-12-foot room in the back of my house. This small room became my entire world.

Finally, one day in frustration I realized that all of the things I was afraid of outside of my room could not be any worse than spending the rest of my life in a 9-by-12-foot room. I decided to venture out as far as the mailbox at the end of my driveway.

The first time I stepped out of my house as a blind person and walked to my mailbox I was barely moving and scared stiff. The five hundredth time I stepped out of my house and walked the length of my driveway, I didn't even think about being nervous. I just went to the mailbox and came back to the house.

I could just as easily have stumbled on the five hundredth trip as I could have on the first, but by the time I'd made five hundred trips, I also knew that if I tripped over something, I could get up, dust myself off, and still get myself to the end of the driveway and back to the house.

Nothing about the driveway or the potential hazards had changed. I had changed. And that's the way it is with any success.

The problems and obstacles and challenges may not be any different. They may be bigger. But you and your ability to take on that challenge have grown even greater proportionally. You are better able to take the next step, and in that lies all the difference in the world.

Everyone feels the fear. Champions face the fear and live their destiny.

Today is the day!

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Article Tags: challenges, Jim Stovall, obstacles, perforamance



Related Forum Posts
Re: Fear of Success - You don't need to fear success. We should embrace it. Fear is define by a man of God as False Evidence Appearing Real. the meaning is what we fear most does'nt come to pass
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).
Re: What I'm reading this weekend - Oct 8, 2010 - these are great! In particular, I liked "you’re already perfect" and "Smashing through the Black Wall of Fear." That's exciting that there is a new 4-hour book out. I really enjoyed "The 4 hour Workweek."
Re: Franchises in Texas... - [quote="RussellWebb":1kwhwvtt]Hi GT - I'm just fed up with the hand wringing fear-mongers. Yes, let's all do our share to reduce our impact on the global warming issues, yet at the same time we need to hear both sides of the story... then make educated decisions.[/quote:1kwhwvtt] Hi Russell, But don't you think society would fall apart without "fear" acting as a control? Fear is what keeps people in check (e.g. if you commit a crime you go to jail or even get shot by the authorities in some countries).
What keeps you from just doing it? - I think many people have limiting beliefs that keep them from following through on their ideas. Fear is certainly a factor, but even more limiting is the belief that it's too good to be true. Many people don't believe it is as simple as they dream it could be. And yet, some people have done exactly that and made millions. Our world has taught us that you have to work really hard to get money and that it's only for a few. What belief do YOU have about money? Is it keeping you from taking that leap on following through with a great business idea? I used to check in with money possibilities before I made a decision. Now I decide what I want to do and then figure out how to use money as a partner to get what I want. It's so freeing to not make decisions based around money fears... even if the funds aren't even there to follow through with it yet. I feel like I've finally stumbled on a secret. I'm not a millionaire yet, but I can tell you things are certainly going in a positive direction! What's your experience? What keeps you from just following through on your entrepreneurial idea?


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