At one time or another we all faced a bully. It could have been in school growing up, one of your peers at work or the invisible kind like I had to face; the fear of public speaking. Let’s focus on our fears and how we can beat the bully, because there is nothing more exhilarating than standing up to your fears and beating them up!
When I first started going to Toastmasters, to face my fear of public speaking, one of my mentors (Ted) suggested that I say YES to every opportunity. In other words he wanted me to say yes to everything that I was afraid of! Immediately I remembered the movie Yes Man with Jim Carey and knowing what happened to him that did not sound like a good idea. Ted explained how saying yes to every opportunity worked, and not to worry it has boundaries unlike the movie Yes Man!
We must understand that opportunity means not only something you are afraid of but it must also line up with your goals. Six years ago, just after learning to say yes, I was asked to compete in a speech contest. Before I had a chance to think about how much this terrified me I said yes!
The key here was to say yes before you think about it. Fear will ALWAYS bully us into submission if we give it time. Stop thinking about doing it, stop thinking about getting started or wishing for something. Do what Ted taught me; say YES! The speech contest turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, but I would not have known that had I done what I always did – run from the bully!
Find your Passion and you will find your life!