FIGHT THE FEAR!!
Ever feel like this little guy?
Have you ever had the experience where something in life is going so well, everything seems to be looking up and then all the sudden…NOTHING is happening? Or worse, everything seems to be falling apart? You’ve poured all your energy and resources into this one focus and find it suddenly fruitless? This can happen in just about any area of life from relationships, to work or even weight loss.
Most of us, myself included, can attest to the excitement and momentum you feel when you lose that first 5 or 10 lbs. It’s motivating and you feel like all your hard work is paying off each time you see the proof on the scale. Then one day you step on the scale and there is no loss. You try again the next day… still nothing! You decide to wait a few days because you’re feeling a little discouraged…but maybe that time you’ve actually gained a pound instead of losing. This is the point where discouragement really settles in and you may begin to think thoughts like…
”Why do I even try?”
“What’s the point in working so hard when nothing is going my way?”
“Nothing I do seems to work”
“There’s no reason to even bother…I should just eat whatever I want if I’m not going to lose anything anyway!!”
“This is hopeless!”
“I quit!”
…And next thing you know…within a very short time you’ve gained that 5 or 10 lbs back…maybe even more.
Weight loss is not the only area of life where discouragement gets the best of us and we allow our own mind to talk us right into quitting. Most of this mind chatter comes from one unpleasant little place commonly referred to as FEAR. For those who have seen the movie “Inside Out” you will remember the anxious fella that controlled fear. He frantically ran about trying to think of every possible negative outcome, ensuring defeat before he even began, just as we often do. Fear steals our momentum and shifts our focus from the goal to the defeat…from the blessings to the problems. Fear of losing...fear of failing…fear of sacrificing without reward…fear that someone might know we failed…fear of the potential pain of the sacrifice required to reach the goal…fear that we might actually succeed and then what? Am I really ready for that life where I succeed…can I handle that pressure? Fear takes on many forms and speaks to us all in many ways. It is a common thread that all humanity shares on some level...we all know fear.
Fear is not all bad…it is there to save our life in the face of great struggle…it is actually meant to give us the energy, resources, and POWER TO FIGHT!!!
Fear has the ability to shift our perspective but we ultimately control how we use it. Fear can render us motionless and powerless or can be the fiery fuel that raises us up against the face of adversity.
FEAR = FIGHT or FLIGHT
...we decide the outcome...
So today…or any day for that matter…when you think you might just quit I encourage you to try this instead…
Identify the fear…what is it that you’re afraid of? Get really honest with yourself. Write it down and keep writing what pops in your mind until you get to the heart of the issue.
Acknowledge the potential loss. Right down everything that this fear stands to take from you…does it want to take your health, your relationships, your freedoms, your hope, your passion, your life’s work…what do you lose if the fear wins? There is usually a high price for allowing fear to win!
Reevaluate the magnitude of your sacrifice…when fear creeps in we have a tendency to over-dramatize our expenditure…for example, we might think things like “I’ve worked so hard… I’ve done everything I can… I’ve invested everything I have in this"… try to put this in a more realistic perspective. Have you given anything that you truly can’t get back? Let me remind you that time is the only commodity that we can never get more of and time is going to pass no matter what we're doing…so whether you’ve sacrificed… money, or energy, or chocolate cake…when you look at it from the bigger picture that sacrifice is likely to look fairly small…which will remind you that you really have nothing to lose :-) …and everything to gain!
Remember your Value! What are you worth? Are you worth more than the number on the scale or in your bank account? Are you worth more than that chocolate cake or cheese fries? And if you’ve forgotten, or maybe never knew, let me remind you… you are “fearfully and wonderfully made”…your existence is no accident…if you are here it is by God’s plan… you are breathing right now for a purpose in this world…you matter… you are loved and cherished…your value is so great that it cannot be measured. Don’t let fear tell you anything different…and when it tries…remind it who you are!! Write your value and your gifts just below your sacrifices.
What action can you take? When fear takes center stage the next steps are critical. You have two choices…you will give in and give up…or you will rally to fight! Fear overwhelms us, paralyzes us and makes whatever the goal may be seem unattainable…but it’s a lie. So what can you do today to fight the fear and keep moving toward the goal? Don’t worry about next week or next month…just today. Write down your next step. Feel free to keep revisiting this and adding steps as the journey takes its twists and turns through life :-).
Last but certainly not least, add people to your life that inspire you, encourage you and offer positivity to overcome that negative voice in your head.
FIGHT THE FEAR!!!!
