Sometimes when I need to venture out and do something new, the fear can almost be paralyzing for me. So I began to really focus on my feelings when I am outside my comfort zone. I have heard it said that fear and excitement feel very similar in our body. So I thought back to when I felt like this previously trying to recall a time I experienced this feeling before only with more excitement than fear. I had to go back to when I was in high school playing basketball for the school team.
It was the feeling before every game. It started in the locker room as we would mentally prepare and Coach would go over the game plan one last time. Then we would walk out onto the court and the anticipation would begin to increase and continue during warm-ups. Then just like that, the feeling would be gone with the opening tip.
I realize two things about this feeling: First, this feeling of fear and excitement is my friend and secondly, there is a key ingredient that will minimize the fear and maximize excitement.
Can a little fear be good?
When playing basketball, there were a few times, before a game, this feeling was not present. These were the games against opponents that we had blown out before or knew we should beat. It was difficult to get “up” for those games and it showed. I would usually play sloppy and make quite a few mental mistakes. The fear and excitement sharpens our focus and prepares our body for the task in front of us. It places importance upon an event that forces us to focus our mind and energy on the task before us. Just don’t let the fear dominate.
The elixir for fear
The second thing I realized from my "glory days", the best cure for fear is preparation. The more we practiced and prepared for our opponent, the more our level of excitement would rise and at the same time, the fear would be minimized.
People really like this feeling of fear and excitement. They just don't realize it. Think about it. That's why horror films and roller coasters are so popular. So why is it that some things we look forward to with great anticipation and others we dread even though our body experiences the same feelings? Maybe it's the level of preparation required? It doesn't take much preparation to see to see a horror film; you buy your ticket and find a seat. On the other hand, if you need to give a speech in front of a large audience, it may require quite a bit of practice before the fear is less than the excitement.
How can you turn fear into excitement the next time you find yourself out of your comfort zone?
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