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How To Cut Through Financial Fear
None of us is totally free of fear. Especially financial fear.
Even if everything looks hunky-dory on the outside, we still might get those 3 a.m. panic visits. Is our business concept nothing other than a one-woman fantasy? Will that commission check arrive in time to pay the mortgage? Should we have listened to that guy who told us what investments to put into our 401k?
Cable news doesn’t help. Few of us are immune to the fear-mongering of the talking heads. (But remember, they have 24 hours a day to fill. And if the news isn’t catastrophic, how will they attract the viewers their advertisers demand?)
So, besides turning off your television, what else can you do to push through the financial fear?
First, look at what wolf you’re feeding. You’ve probably heard that wonderful Cherokee tale (if you haven’t, I wrote about it here), where the old man is teaching his grandson about the two wolves he has battling within him. One is riddled with negative characteristics and the other is the epitome of benevolence and kindness. The grandson asks which one wins the battle, and the old man says, “The one you feed.”
Your fears are no different. The ones you feed with thoughts and energy get larger. The ones you minimize or ignore shrivel up and die.
Second, get away from all naysayers. If you have a dream and that dream is bigger than someone else’s, what chance is there is of that person raining on your parade? Especially if (at least in their mind) your success will somehow affect their relationship with you … move you on to bigger and better things where maybe you’ll have less in common.
We hear enough doom and gloom in today’s economy. You don’t need to take on someone else’s bad vibes.
Third, let go of all potential regrets. It’s so easy to live in the shudda-cudda-wudda space, second guessing every decision you’ve made. But that’s a recipe for total brain-drain and energy depletion. Remember, every decision is a ‘Y’ … a fork in the road. And once a decision is made, you don’t get a do-over. But no one makes perfect decisions all the time. So if you make a bad one, let it go.
Learn from the consequences and then release what “might have been.” Truth is, you have no choice, so you may as well forgive yourself, make the best of it and move on. And by staying away from negative energy, you’ll find that fear has no way to latch on to your thoughts.
Fourth, find a couple of powerful mentors. You want to choose people who have been successful doing what you’re aiming to do. Not only can you shortcut your journey if they’re willing to guide you. They can also help you save time, money and energy by avoiding unnecessary pitfalls.
Once you find people willing to be generous with their time and knowledge, be sure to nurture the relationship. While to some degree we all function based on “what’s in it for me,” you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what nurtures them. It’s probably not what you think.
And fifth, get crystal clear on your vision and talk about it confidently. Nothing breaks through fear faster than confidence. And confidence comes from that inner knowing that you’re on the right path, headed towards something compelling … like a vision that you see in your mind’s eye in minute detail. Down to the smells and sounds. Down to the visceral level.
So imagine this:
If you have a clear vision which you talk about confidently, what chance do you think you have of attracting a couple of powerful mentors?
And if you have a couple of powerful mentors, what chance do you think you have of slicing through any momentary regrets?
And if you have no regrets, how long do you think you’re going to hang around all those naysayers?
And if you don’t hang around naysayers, what wolf do you think you’ll be feeding?
Case closed.
So how do you let your financial fear get the best of you? And what do you do to tame it? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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Bio: Sharon O’Day lost everything at age 53: her home, her business, everything. But how could that be? She’s an expert in global finance and marketing with an MBA from the Wharton School. She has worked with governments, corporations, and individuals … yes, she was the secret “weapon,” if you will, behind many individuals in high places. Yet she did! Since then, with her finances completely turned around, Sharon has gone on to interview countless women. She’s done extensive research to understand how that could have happened, especially with her strong knowledge of numbers and finance.
The surprising answers are shared in her posts, articles and an upcoming book. Today her mission is to show as many women as possible how to become financially free for the long term, through her coaching programs. She has developed a step-by-step plan to get past all the obstacles that keep women broke and scared … and from reaching the financial peace of mind they so deserve … if they’re willing to do what it takes!