Fear of the Unknown...

Google defines Anxiety as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

Image credit - amarudontv.com

That definition clearly defined the young lady I met some weeks back. Mirabel is a hardworking and zealous staff of a popular company who has passed up promotions at work simply because it would expose her to public speaking and attending of meetings on behalf of the organization. According to her, she has run out of excuses for rejecting her merited promotion, so her next plan is to find another job that would not put her anywhere in front of a crowd. Her words reminded me of how I used to be. 

I used to be afraid of failing at anything or being humiliated in public. I just had to be perfect and nothing short of it. Giving me a speech to read at an event meant sleepless nights. A night before the event; I would become concerned that I would become visibly anxious, I would keep on counting down the hours and going over my speech a zillion times. On the day of the event, sitting for any meal would be a problem, my breathing and heart rate would accelerate, I would lose my voice and my hands would shake uncontrollably. I would convince myself that the whole thing was going to be a failure and I would end up being laughed at. In order to avoid experiencing any form of stress or anxiety because of unknown humiliation,  I would flee from any meeting just to avoid being selected and freezing in front of strangers. It was easier to stay away completely. Yeah, it was that bad.

I am not a doctor but experience has taught me that excessive anxiety makes you uneasy, fearful, and apprehensive. It negatively affects your life, thus preventing you from reaching your full potential. Anxiety prevents you from setting yourself free and living a fulfilled life. Your life becomes stagnant.

So what if you miss a line or two or stutter at that event or meeting? Trust me, no one will notice and you can never be penalized for being human. Besides, why would you fail when you stayed awake all night rehearsing? Why all the negativity? I woke up to the fact that I never got humiliated all those times. On the contrary, I got applauds and congratulatory messages from friends and no one ever noticed I was quaking on the stage or that I was churning up inside. So why was I putting myself through all that stress?

My point today is simple and clear cut; if you are like Mirable, then it is time for you to get over your fears. It is time for you to fight back and overcome your demons. If I could do it, so can you. Never forget that nobody is perfect and it is okay to fail or fall because you will definitely get up stronger and better.

LIVE FREE!!