Sharing the antidote to your fears…

Unusually for me, I have had a fairly full social calendar over the past couple of weeks and many of the events have been music or arts related.

We loved the Sting concert while picnicking in the magnificent King’s Park, we enjoyed another picnic with friends while listening to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra performing in a local park, we were wowed by a Perth Festival performance of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at His Majesty’s Theatre, I took a friend to a Pot & Sip class as a birthday outing and we have another outdoor music event this weekend of the opera Carmen!  Wow!!

My older daughter did music as soon as she started school here in Perth in Year 4 all the way through to Year 12 when she performed a Concerto as part of her final exams.  As parents we went to umpteen concerts and performances, including some of the incredible ones that made up their European Music Tour – think Salzburg, Montreaux and Florence!  

Then it all stopped as she left school and moved interstate for university.  This left a huge hole in my life and I realised how much I loved losing myself in music even though my musical knowledge is slim to none!

One of the fears I’ve felt is that life is passing me by and I’m not making the most of it!  By recognising it I have made a concerted effort to say “yes” to more events and opportunities that align with my interests and values – not everything does, which is an important distinction.  

In last week’s email I listed a few fears I had been working on and promised some strategies to help work through them.  So here goes…

• Face Your Fears head on

One of the most powerful ways to overcome fear is to face it head-on. By confronting your fears, you can gain a greater understanding of what’s holding you back and take steps to overcome it. This may mean taking small steps outside of your comfort zone, seeking out new experiences, or facing your fears directly through therapy or self-reflection.

• Build Confidence

Confidence can help you overcome fear by increasing your self-esteem and belief in your abilities. This can be done through personal growth and development, practising new skills, or seeking out opportunities to challenge yourself.

• Seek Support

Having a strong support network can help you overcome fear by providing you with encouragement, guidance, and a sense of community. This may mean reaching out to friends and family, joining a support group, or seeking out a mentor or coach.

• Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you overcome fear by reducing stress and anxiety and increasing your ability to focus and be present in the moment. This can be achieved through meditation, yoga, a walk in nature, enjoying a quiet cuppa or a relaxing soak/massage .

• Reframe Your Thinking

Change can be scary, but it’s also where growth happens. Embrace new experiences, step outside of your comfort zone, and watch as your fears fade and your confidence grows. Our fears often show us what is truly important in our lives!

There are many strategies that can be effective in overcoming fears and moving past them. The key is to find what works best for you and commit to taking action, no matter how small the steps may be. 

The antidote to fear is…. CONSCIOUS ACTION!

An exercise for you this week is to think about and write down areas in your life that bring up the most fearful thoughts for you.

Once you have them out in front of you – what do you think is underneath the surface of those fears, what could they really be telling you?

 Look at how you can reframe the fears and the conscious action you could take to flip your fear into a powerful change. This can look like:

• Giving myself the same compassion, understanding and kindness as I would to others because I am worthy too.
• Creating moments of quiet reflective time to journal/meditate and process the root of the fears you may feel.  Fears often arise around what is truly important to us
• Living in the present while appreciating the wisdom your past has taught you and not ruminating (getting out of the negative thought cycle).
• Release the opinions and thoughts of others – they are not yours, you can’t control them and they don’t determine your worth.
• Living in alignment with your values.

Remember, it’s a journey and every small step counts!  Remember if you would like a journal there is the FREE Reconnection Journal you are welcome to download here.

I would love to hear what action steps you are going to take to conquer a fear you have.