As a young woman I was the treasurer for a charity group. One night I was asked to fill in for another member of the committee at a group discussion, it was only a small group, about 12 or so people who sat in a circle. However, when I was asked to make a comment I felt as if I was going to choke. A few weeks later I walked into my home with a baby in one arm and a bag of groceries in the other and raced to answer the ringing phone. It was a major radio station asking for a comment on behalf of the charity and we were live on air. I can’t even remember what I said and if I was coherent, I was so frozen with fear.
Those experiences motivated me to do something to overcome my fear of public speaking so over the next couple of years I did several public speaking courses. I had to do more than one to gain any level of competence. I later went onto to have individual lessons with a speech and drama coach. Since facing that fear I have had the privilege of being a teacher and motivational speaker, talking to as many as 1500 people at one time and appearing regularly on radio and TV.
I believe that the other side of fear is freedom. My definition of freedom at one time was being able to do what I want when I want. I now know that freedom for me is passion, joy, fulfillment and being my authentic self. I could never have achieved those feelings if I had allowed fear to rule my life.
Freedom Is On The Other Side Of Fear
Your fears show you where you need to make adjustments or changes within yourself so that you can become the person you were born to be. So many people worry about what other people will think of them but when you give yourself permission to make mistakes, to fall flat on your face at times, life gets easier. Failure is as much a part of life as success is, and if you don’t get comfortable with failure it’s hard to move forward.
When I reflect back over my life I have had more failures than successes, but the pleasure, joy and personal satisfaction that I have gained from my successes are what make me feel good about myself and the life I have created.
Life is never about what other people think about you. At the end of your life it will come down to how you feel about yourself, and the way you have lived your life.