The Terror Barrier
Jul 25, 2022
"If you want something in life that you've never had, you're going to have to do something you've never done."
--JD Houston
How many times have you been asked to do something you've never done before? I know that stepping out of our comfort zone can be...well...terrifying. Okay, maybe not that bad, but the places that we go in our heads can be. We often wonder, "What if I don't do well?" "What if I fail?" "What if I really can't do it?" "What if I look stupid?" And "geesh, maybe you should have thought about this more and who are you to do this I mean there's no way you'll succeed...blah, blah, blah."
I have learned to change my thinking to, "What if I nail it?" "What if it's an epic success?" "What if I'm the exact person for that task?"
Well, here's a different way to think about it. "What ifs" are not truth. Negative what ifs are just statements that our brain makes up to keep us in our comfort zone. "What ifs" are thoughts to keep us from getting hurt. We bump up against limitations that we have created in our minds.
Those self-created limitations are called the Terror Barrier. The Terror Barrier lurks just outside the comfort zone waiting to pounce. It's that feeling of dread or the certainty that we are doomed if we try the thing we want to attempt. It's that feeling a man gets when he wants to ask a woman out on a date. It's that feeling that we get when the boss calls us into his/her office. It's that feeling most people get when they are asked to speak publicly. It's that feeling we get whenever we want to try something risky or new.
Here's 3 steps to becoming a wrecking ball on your personal Terror Barrier:
1. Do it afraid. Just keep moving forward no matter how badly your feet want to stay rooted to the ground. Refuse to let this limitation (that probably was your own creation) to control you or your future.
2. Expect the enemy. The Terror Barrier rears its ugly head every time we want to step into territory where we haven't previously traveled. It's natural and normal. Simply shrug and tell yourself, "Oh, there you are again. You're trying to keep me safe. This must mean something great for me if you are trying to stop me."
3. Keep your eyes on the prize. Mentally see yourself winning. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.'' Focus on how good it will feel to break through--victory tastes sooooo sweet.
I think we have no idea what we are truly capable of. Today, when you are faced with the Terror Barrier, take the above 3 steps. You can do it. Smashing through that barrier is possible and remember, once you stretch that comfort zone, it never goes back to the original smaller shape.
Go and grow...BIGTIME!
Jan
Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team
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