Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world; there is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s in everyone! As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Nelson Mandela

The first several times I read this quote, I did not fully comprehend its meaning. In fact, I found myself asking how can I fear my power and light more than my inadequacies and darkness? I am excited about my gifts, my talents and what I have to offer the world. How could I possibly fear them? I have processed this thought many times through my self-talk and meditations. My answers have come and I have gained a deep sense of appreciation for Mr. Mandela for the deep wisdom and the high energy that resonates from his words.

This is what I have learned:

First of all, I am fortunate to have discovered my gifts. I have an understanding of what I have to offer and I am excited to offer it. Over 85% of our worlds population does not share this good fortune. They knew their gifts at birth but their world clouded their vision of those gifts over time. They often get glimpses of those gifts and they immediately cloud those glimpses with doubt and fear. They fear their gifts because their doubts tell them they will never obtain them. In fact, it becomes their greatest fear because their inner self lets them know that these gifts are their birthright while the outside world says they cant have those gifts or they dont deserve them.

I thought for a while that this was the complete answer but I learned that there was even a deeper meaning to it. I learned that this lesson does not just apply to the 85% that have not fully envisioned their gifts. It also applies to the 15% that know and share their gifts everyday. I learned that, even though I celebrate my power and light by sharing it, I still have a fear of it.

You see, I have been fortunate to manifest life long dreams into reality. I have experienced some success and I believe that I am making a difference in the world. I am currently living a dream and I enjoy the amazing positive energy that comes from that. I have found, that with that energy, new dreams emerge, new goals are written, new possibilities have been created. They are all at a higher level. A new chapter is being written for me; a new step on the ladder has been reached. The view changes the higher you go. I know that the power and light that has been given to me can accomplish much greater things than I could have ever imagined even five years ago. With that knowledge, I have a responsibility to deliver what the universe has entrusted to me. The same fear and doubt sets in; a fear that I might stumble or disappoint; a fear that I might not deliver; a fear that I might not be deserving of this new level of greatness. I have learned that, as before in my life, I must walk through those fears and stake claim on the greatness I have to offer. To realize I have weakness but I will do it anyway. To know that if I simply celebrate the strengths and gifts in others, the universe will celebrate the strengths and gifts in me. And, with that celebration I will overcome the inadequacies, the darkness, the doubt and the fear that tries so hard to hold us all back.

I am fortunate to be in a position where I can watch thousands of other people experiencing this same journey. Every person reading these words is on that journey and you are heading in the right direction. We are all at different levels. Some have small glimpses of their greatness. Others have a clearer vision. SendOutCards gives us an atmosphere and a daily mechanism that will help us bring our greatness into view. We have the opportunity to celebrate another persons greatness every time we send a card. With that celebration, the universe celebrates our greatness and takes us to a new level.

The key is to keep on going. Be consistent with your card sending. Your promptings will guide you to your greatness within and they will prepare you for each new level you reach. We are all destined for greatness. We are all powerful beyond measure. We are all brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. We were all born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

Your Friend,
Kody Bateman

Click here for more information on SendOutCards

Remind Yourself - Don’t be afraid - SayNoToTerror.com

No, I’m not talking about being frustrated with the spam. I’m talking about wanting to kick yourself for wasting precious minutes - or hours - on stuff you can hardly remember - or care to remember.

“What did you do for the whole morning?” If it wasn’t deliberate recreation or working through some communications that will help take you closer to your goals, you probably got sucked into your email blackhole.

Here’s an article that will help you prevent that - at least in the morning and at night:

Never Check Your Email First or Last

Place visual cues around your home that remind you of what your focus is. These reminders often work to get you back on track. Hint… Use the InspireMe.org printouts.

Two.

When you find that you are sitting at your computer in a haze, not achieving anything and being distracted by all the things you could do… If you’re not plowing through the things you should do… If you don’t even have a to-do list in front of you that tells exactly what is the next thing you MUST work on, GET UP IMMEDIATELY. Go sit somewhere quietly and think of the most important thing you need to do next. Convince yourself that it must be done now. Then go do it.

Just 2 things that I know work.

Make life happen.

Sabrina..

This is probably not the kind of inconsistency you´re thinking of. What I call outer consistency is when you start something, get all excited about it. But don´t follow through regularly enough to make consistent progress.

Inner consistency is making your insides match your outsides. It is when you are clear about certain aspects of who you are, who you wish to become, or even something you wish to achieve; and you keep all your words, thoughts and actions in line with this aspiration.

It´s more than motivational affirmations as you can see. It´s also self-talk, shutting the door on negative, sabotaging thoughts; and creating daily action steps to move you toward what you envisage.

Once your words, thoughts and actions start to line up, this creates congruence which is a form of alignment necessary to turn your dreams and visions into reality. This then creates synchronicity. Isn´t that a lovely word! It´s like serendipity. It slides off the tongue and has a delightful meaning.

What is synchronicity? It is the magnetic force that is created when you start to attract divine appointments and circumstances which bring fulfilment of your vision, or certainly steps toward their fulfilment. It is extremely powerful and exciting when it happens.

What is one dream or goal you have? Have your words, thoughts and actions been congruent toward this goal?

What´s one thing you can adapt today in your words, thoughts and actions to create congruence and this exciting possibility of synchronicity.

Take five minutes now. Yes, right now, and take one step towards deciding to be consistent. Then DO IT!

Well Done.

Remember, we strive for progress not perfection.

Positively yours

Danick Buskermolen

Life Coach Danick Buskermolen ( http://www.maximisedfreedom.com ) is a graduate of Hart Life Coaching and a charter member of Life Design Associates specialising in assisting people to breakthrough limitations, define values, philosophies and purpose and live a juicy life by design instead of by default. Danick has a background as a successful salesperson, beauty therapist, world traveller, lifetime student of personal growth/development and education, graduate of Landmark curriculum, Toastmasters Speechcraft, author, speaker and a committed Christian.

Here was my response:

Index cards.

Keep a notebook where you jot down all the to-do items. Just keep adding them to the list. Don’t worry about the order in the book.

Every night transfer the most *important* item to the top of a new index card. You can also add other items that you think must be done… but everything that’s urgent is not necessarily important within the scope of your long-term goals.

Don’t be unrealistic about what you can achieve during the day. If you can only do 2 things on a regular basis, only put 2 things on the index card. That way you feel good about achieving rather than awful about not doing getting things done… “again!”

:-)

The simpler you keep it, the more likely it will get done.

Fortunately, the habit of courage can be learned just as any other success skill is learned. To do so, we need to go to work systematically to diminish and eradicate our fears, while simultaneously building up the kind of courage that will enable us to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life unafraid.

Syndicated columnist Ann Landers wrote these words: “If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.´’ This is the kind of attitude that leads to victory.

The starting point in overcoming fear and developing courage is, first of all, to look at the factors that predispose us toward being afraid.

As we know, the root source of fear is childhood conditioning that caused us to experience two types of fear: the fear of failure, which causes us to think, “I can´t, I can´t, I can´t’; and the fear of rejection, which causes us to think, “I have to, I have to, I have to.’

Based on these fears, we become preoccupied with the idea of losing our money, or our time, or our emotional investment in a relationship. We become hypersensitive to the opinions and possible criticisms of others, sometimes to the point where we are afraid to do anything that anyone else might disapprove of. Our fears tend to paralyze us, holding us back from taking constructive action in the direction of our dreams and goals. We hesitate, we become indecisive and we procrastinate; we make excuses and find reasons not to move ahead. And finally, we feel frustrated, caught in the double bind of, “I have to, but I can´t,’ or, “I can´t, but I have to.’

Fear is also caused by ignorance. When we have limited information, we tend to be tense and insecure about the outcome of our actions. Ignorance causes us to fear change, to fear the unknown and to avoid trying anything new or different. But the reverse is also true. The very act of gathering more and more information about a particular subject causes us to have more courage and confidence in that area. There are parts of your life where you have no fear at all because you feel knowledgeable and completely capable of handling whatever happens.

Another factor that causes fears is illness or fatigue. When we are tired or unwell, or when we are not physically fit, we are more predisposed to fear and doubt than when we are feeling healthy and happy and terrific about ourselves.

Once we´ve recognized the factors that can cause fear, the second step in overcoming fear is to sit down and take the time to objectively identify, define and analyze your own personal fears. At the top of a clean sheet of paper, write the question, “What am I afraid of?’

Now, before you begin, I need to make an important point: All intelligent people are afraid of something. It is normal and natural to be concerned about your physical, emotional and financial survival. The courageous person is not a person who is unafraid. As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear¾not absence of fear.’

It is not whether or not you are afraid. We are all afraid. The question is, how do you deal with the fear? The courageous person is simply one who goes forward in spite of the fear. And here´s something else I´ve learned: when you confront your fears and move toward what you are afraid of, your fears diminish and your self-esteem and self-confidence increase.

However, when you avoid the thing you fear, your fears grow until they begin to control every aspect of your life. And as your fears increase, your self-esteem, your self-confidence and your self-respect diminish accordingly.

Begin filling out your list of fears by writing down everything, major and minor, over which you experience any anxiety. The most common fears, of course, are the fear of failure and the fear of rejection.

Some people, compelled by the fear of failure, invest an enormous amount of energy justifying or covering up their mistakes. And some people, compelled by the fear of rejection, are so obsessed with how they appear to others that they seem to have no ability to take independent action at all. Until they are absolutely certain that someone else will approve, they refrain from doing anything. Once you have made a list of every fear that you think may be affecting your thinking and your behavior, organize the items in order of importance. Which fear do you feel has the greatest impact on your thinking, or holds you back more than any other? Which fear would be number two? What would be your third fear? And so on. With regard to your predominant fear, write the answers to these three questions:

1. How does this fear hold me back in life? 2. How does this fear help me, or how has it helped me in the past? 3. What would be my pay-off for eliminating this fear?

Some years ago, I went through this exercise and concluded that my biggest fear was the fear of poverty. I was afraid of not having enough money, being broke, perhaps even being destitute. I knew that this fear had originated during my childhood because my parents, who grew up during the Depression, had continually worried about money. My fear was reinforced when I was broke at various times during my 20s. I could objectively assess the origins of this fear, but it still had a strong hold on me. Even when I had sufficient money for all my needs, this fear was always there.

My answer to the question, “How does this fear hold me back?’ was that it caused me to be anxious about taking risks with money. It caused me to play it safe with regard to employment. And it caused me to choose security over opportunity.

My answer to the second question, “How does this fear help me?’ was that, in order to escape the fear of poverty, I had a tendency to work much longer and harder. I was more ambitious and determined. I took much more time to inform myself on the various ways that money could be invested. The fear of poverty was, in effect, driving me toward financial independence.

When I answered the third question, “What would be my pay-off for overcoming this fear?’ I immediately saw that I would be willing to take more risks, I would be more aggressive in pursuing my financial goals, I could and would start my own business, and I would not be so tense and concerned about spending too much or having too little. I would no longer be so concerned about the price of everything. By objectively analyzing my biggest fear in this way, I was able to begin the process of eliminating it.

You can begin the process of developing courage and eliminating fear by engaging in actions consistent with the behaviors of courage and self-confidence. Anything that you practice over and over eventually becomes a new habit. So let´s focus on some of the areas where you can practice to develop the habit of courage.

The first and perhaps most important kind of courage is the courage to begin, to launch, to step out in faith. This is the courage to try something new or different, to move out of your comfort zone, with no guarantee of success. John Ronstadt, a professor at Babson College who taught entrepreneurship for 12 years, conducted a study of those who took his class and later became successful. He could only find one quality that they had in common: their willingness to actually start their own business in the marketplace. He calls this the “Corridor Principle.’ He said that as these individuals moved forward, as though proceeding down a corridor, doors opened to them that they would not have seen if they had not been in forward motion. It turned out that the graduates of his entrepreneurship course who had done nothing with what they had learned were still waiting for things to be just right before they began. They were unwilling to launch themselves down the corridor of uncertainty until they could somehow be assured that they would be successful¾something which never happened.

The future belongs to the risk takers, not the security seekers. Life is perverse in the sense that, the more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. One way to get the courage to begin, from which everything else flows, is to plan and prepare thoroughly in advance. Set clear goals and objectives, then gather information. Read and research in your chosen field. Write out detailed plans of action, and then take the first step.

The second kind of courage is the courage to endure, to persist, to stay at it once you have begun. Persistence is a form of courageous patience, and it is one of the rarest types of courage. Courageous patience is having the ability to stand firm after you have taken action and before you get any feedback or results from your actions. When you plan your work and work your plan through patient persistence, even in the face of disappointment and unexpected setbacks, you will build and develop the quality of courage within you.

Whenever you feel fear or anxiety, and you need to bolster your courage to endure, switch your attention to your goals. Create a mental picture of the person that you would like to be, performing the way you would like to perform. There is nothing wrong with thoughts of fear as long as you temper them with thoughts of courage and self-reliance. Whatever you dwell upon, grows . . . so be careful.

The last type of courage is the courage to conquer worry—a form of negative goal-setting. It is dwelling upon, talking about, and vividly imagining exactly what you don´t want to happen. If you worry long enough and hard enough about something, you are going to attract it into your life. The great tragedy is that even if the situation you are worrying about does not materialize, your health and your emotions will suffer just the same. And the fact is that most of things that people worry about never happen.

The only real antitode to worry is purposeful action toward a predetermined goal or solution. Since the conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time, when you get busy doing something to resolve your problem, you will not have the time or the mental capacity to worry. And before you know it, your worrysome situation will have been resolved.

The mastery of fear and the development of courage are essential prerequisites for a happy, successful life. With a commitment to acquire the habit of courage, you will eventually reach the point where your fears no longer play a major role in your decision-making. You will set big, challenging, exciting goals, and you will have the confidence of knowing that you can attain them. You will be able to face every situation with calmness and self-assurance. And the key is courage.

About Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs.

It is said that, ‘’by small and simple things great things are brought to pass.'’ Sometimes we feel that in order for great things to happen in our lives, some dramatic event must occur. We’ll get called by Oprah to be on her show and become an overnight success. Or we’ll win the lottery and pay off all our debts. Or we’ll land the perfect job that will solve all our money problems.

Although it may appear that success simply falls into some people’s laps, this is rarely the case. What we don’t see are the thousands of small and simple things that a successful person has done over several years or even over the course of his/her life that built up to great events. (And I’m not talking about buying a lottery ticket every day to win the lottery.) So what are these small and simple things from which great things are brought to pass?

Desire

It may seem simple, but you have to want something before you can go after it. You have to want to go to Disney World before you get in the car to go there. True success starts with some level of desire for something — a better life, a better business, or better relationships with your family. You have to want it before you’ll ever achieve it.

Commitment

If you’re ever going to arrive at your destination, you must at some point decide to leave. You have to decide that you’re willing to do what it takes to make it happen. It is in the moment of decision that your course is set and the universe begins to bring opportunities into your path to help you achieve what you have decided to do.

Sacrifice

One definition of sacrifice is “giving up something good for that which is even better.” Being willing to sacrifice for what you want is a critical ingredient of success. In our Disney World example, if you’ve decided on a trip to Disney World, you’re most likely sacrificing a trip somewhere else - like Las Vegas or San Francisco. You’re also sacrificing the money and the time it takes to go there.

Faith

Whether or not you think you have faith, everyone does. You believe the sun will rise tomorrow. You plant a seed in hopes that it will grow into a lovely flower or vegetable. It takes faith to start a business in hopes that you will be successful. When you send your children out the door for school in the morning you believe they will return to you in the afternoon. Everything you do in your life requires some degree of faith. The more faith you have, the more you can accomplish. The more you dare to dream and believe and envision, the more you can achieve.

Diligence

Constant movement toward your goal brings about achievement. You must do something and keep on doing it to accomplish anything. It takes ongoing, physical movement to accomplish anything in life. You have to move your body into the car to go to Disney World. You have to move your fingers to type that book. You have to bend at the waist to do those sit-ups. You have to ‘’keep on keeping on'’ no matter what obstacles cross your path and no matter what stands in your way. Diligence requires patience and steadfastness.

Keep Your Eyes Open

As you commit, have faith, and diligently work toward your objectives, opportunities arise along the way to help you reach your goals. But, you must be open to new ideas, new possibilities, and new ways of doing things. You must keep your eyes, ears, mind, and heart open so that when opportunities make themselves available to you, you act on them.

Remembering

Periodically, we humans get sidetracked on roads that aren’t going where we really want to go. We stop off in some dinky town to see the largest ball of twine and forget that we’re really trying to make our way to Disney World. We have to stop and remember where we’re going. We have to remember who we are, what we’re trying to achieve. Losing focus on our ultimate objective can cause us to risk wandering aimlessly lost on back roads and dead-ends for so long that we never arrive at our destination.

In Summary

Success in any endeavor requires these small and simple steps, yet many people never know that they are necessary. Too many people decide to go into a business and even get an office, but never really commit to doing what it takes to get business. They never really try to get customers.

• Start with your desire,
• Commit to the project,
• Have faith that you can accomplish it and really see yourself accomplishing it.
• Take consistent action.
• Keep your eyes open for opportunities — expect them to arise — and grab them with both arms when they do.
• Occasionally review your progress and make sure you’re still on the right path. Remember who you are, why you’re here, and where you’re going.

It’s that simple. Here’s to your success!Marnie Pehrson is an author, creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com, www.LocateACoach.com, www.SheLovesGod.com, www.BelieversAtWork.com and more. She is the author of inspirational books like Lord, Are You Sure? and historical fiction such as The Patriot Wore Petticoats. She also helps people earn money from home. For more information on her projects, visit http://www.pwgroup.com.

Marnie Pehrson may be contacted at http://www.MarniePehrson.com or marnie@pwgroup.com