Hypnotes August 2009 ~ FEAR TV
By the time you read this I will have taken part in a short television program for a regional TV company who was interested in my Laid Off, Move On audio program, designed specifically for those who have been made redundant and how to recognise and deal with the emotional implications redundancy brings with it. I am of course familiar with working in the recording studio developing my self help and self development audio programmes, and I have been a guest on several radio stations over the years, but TV crews are something different, for someone who spends most of his life in a small room working with clients, shouting about the work I do seems quite alien. However I realise that I have a story to tell, in fact our publicist thinks I have many. So this is something that I am going to have to get used too, and this TV program is a good place to start.
No doubt it will all be fine, but it prompted several thoughts. The main one was how easy it would be to shy away from something so new and unfamiliar. How easy to make up an excuse and avoid putting myself out of my comfort zone. And yet what would be the point? Afterwards I would regret it, and have missed a wonderful opportunity to express my thoughts, describe my work and get a positive message across.
I remembered something I tell my clients. Fear is temporary, regret is forever! FEAR for some people can stand for Forget Everything And Run, or it can stand for Fiction Envisioned As Real. I wondered how many people choose to walk away from opportunities because of sort term fear. How many people sabotage their thoughts and future and livelihoods’ simply because of some short term emotional discomfort only to have lots of time to regret it later? How many people I wondered chose to not pick up the phone to tell someone they were sorry, or that they loved them, or to phone for a job application, or apply for a course at college, or those who don’t apply for promotion simply because of short term fear?
If only they chose a different path, to pick up the phone, to send an email, to apply for the promotion, or tell someone they are sorry or to tell someone they loved them. How much better we would feel, sharing our feelings, learning to push back our barriers and limitations and to live life as fully as we can. To do so is more important than ever in these days of uncertainty. The worst someone can say to you is no. When I think about doing the TV programme, I know I will be working with professionals, and I know I will have lots more experience when it is finished. Experience I can then take with me to do something else, challenging my comfort zone once again, but with it bringing growth and development to my life. And the excitement that thought brings will dilute any short term discomfort. And looking back on the day, I will be able to say I did it. Have you challenged your comfort zone today?
Readers unable to visit my practice are encouraged to look at the self help / self development audio programs here
