What Are You Afraid Of?

Fear seems to be a hot topic these days. There’s an endless variety of self-help tips on the Internet, along with an endless array of books and even a few sermons on the subject. Funny thing is, with all that expert advice, there’s no real consensus on how to deal with fear. So let me offer you a simple truth that will lead you to a simple solution.

No human being can focus on more than one thing at a time. I know! There are lots of people who are incredibly good at multitasking. But research into how the human brain works says even those people can’t focus on more than one thing at at time. They’re simply able to switch their focus rapidly and often.

Here’s another truth. Where focus goes, energy flows. Makes sense, right? That’s how we get things done during the day. We focus on a task, our energy flows to that task and it gets done! Now, what happens when we focus on our fears? All of our energy is drawn to what we’re afraid of and we crash right into it!

Henry Ford summed this up pretty well when he said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

Now you might be wondering – how do we think we can when we’re already thinking we can’t? And more importantly, how can we make the change simply, elegantly and without having to test drive the dozens and dozens of methods that claim to make this change possible?

Just change your focus. Instead of living in the problem (where fear has you tied up in knots) focus on the outcome (which gives you the freedom to move toward the outcome you desire). As long as you keep your eye on the outcome it will be impossible for you to pay any attention to the problem (and the fear that goes with it).

And don’t say you can’t because Henry Ford has another bit of wisdom for you: “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”

Let me share one more thought with you today. I meet a lot of people who are under the impression that I’m a fearless guy because of what I’ve been able to accomplish in my life. And you may be thinking, “Yeah, it’s easy for Jordan to say ‘just change your focus’but I’m not Jordan.”

Okay, I get it. You’re not me. And you know what? You don’t have to be me because what I’ve suggested to you works for anyone willing to do it. There are no Supermen and Superwomen in this world. There are only men and women who want something more out of life and are determined to focus on it with a laser-like intensity until they get it.

So if you give yourself half a chance, a great surprise awaits you. You’ll discover you did the very thing you were afraid to do.

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