For a few months, I will provide a series of 12 scenarios that I hope you’ll find thought-provoking.
The intention behind this is to create simple, relevant experiences that are relatable and may “show up” in your day-to-day activities.
Each scenario will display a “before” and “after” comparison, encouraging you to think about how the particular scenario may play a role in your life.
Along with this, I’ll provide some additional thoughts/questions that will support you in your journey towards becoming a masterful communicator.
In all of the examples, the “after” is replaced with “Masterful Communicator”...
Here ya go…
In Pema Chodron’s book, When Things Fall Apart, she talks about “inviting what we usually avoid” by “leaning into the sharp points.”
In other words, when you feel scared, or fearful to do something, it’s probably a good idea to do it…..
Because that’s where the biggest opportunities for growth reside.
Throughout the day, there’s a good chance that you’ll experience a plethora of fears; the tricky thing about fear is that it’s presence isn’t always obvious.
If an angry dog ran up to you right now, there’s a good chance you’d be scared shitless and experience quite a bit of fear.
In this case, I don’t have any strong recommendations on what to do next..
However, in many instances, fears can be subtle, and far less obvious.
In this week’s scenario #3, “you’ve been asked to speak at a meeting in front of your colleagues”, the focus is on the fear of public speaking.
Otherwise known as Glossophobia.
I don’t know of one person who’s ever called it Glossophobia….
In fact, I’d probably be quite annoyed if someone came up to me and asked, “Do you have Glossophobia?”
Anyhow, that’s what it’s called. 🙂
Studies have shown that up to 75% of the population is effected by this phobia. That’s a LOT of people!
Some people are so affected by this fear that they’ll have a visceral reaction to it, which means they experience a deep, uncomfortable feeling in their gut.
Which brings me to my next point…
The fear of public speaking actually resides much deeper and is the symptom of an underlying, unresolved issue.
In the “before” portion of the above scenario, I say, “you get nervous and retreat because you don’t want to feel embarrassed.”
Meaning…..You don’t want to look the fool in front of your peers!
But what’s the fear that resides underneath this?
Most likely, it’s a fear of rejection; which is far more subtle than the one that resides on the surface, “I don’t want to feel embarrassed.”
You most likely don’t want to stand up and speak in public, because you don’t want to get rejected. THAT’S THE FEAR.
So where does this come from?
Well….fears tend to develop over time; they derive from previous experiences, and often stay in your body until, as Pema Chodron suggests, you “lean into them.”
The purpose of today’s email isn’t to introduce you to the concept of fear. I know that you’re familiar with this.
But rather, to encourage you to observe when fears come up, look a little deeper into it, and ultimately, lean into them, as a source for growth and inspiration.
Next week Scenario #4.
