When we purchased our home just about a year ago we became the beneficiaries of a beautiful vegetable garden. This garden was the result of the hard work of the previous homeowner.
When spring came this garden was in for a rude awakening as gardening is not something my wife and I have done much of at all. Truth be told, I have still done very little gardening while my wife is quickly growing in her green thumb skills.
She decided to add pumpkins to the plot this year. I’m sure you’ve seen the seeds. They are about the size of a dime when you place them in your hand. The grandkids were excited about the possibility of having their own pumpkins when fall rolls around.
We knew the pumpkins would spread out a little bit when they started to grow. My wife isn’t really sure how many seeds she planted as she was attempting to supervise the grandkids as they planted randomly in the dirt. What has happened in our small little garden is becoming overwhelming!
The pumpkins are taking over, slowly. Gradually, they have crept into the asparagus. Slowly but surely they invaded the beans. Little by little they overwhelmed the carrots. It didn’t seem like much at first. Then, all of a sudden, it was like a green leafed tsunami destroying everything in its path. Where did all these pumpkin leaves come from? Where will it all end?!
Fear works a lot like those pumpkins in our garden. It’s often very slow and gradual. We hardly even notice it until it has taken over. This fear that overwhelms us begins to affect all areas of our life, not just the area related to the fear.
A few years ago, I was asked to speak at a meeting of C level executives. CEOs, CFOs, COOs and whatever other Senior Executive you can think of. I accepted the opportunity but I maybe should have asked a few more questions.
I always have a certain level of trepidation about any event for which I’m asked to speak. I’m always afraid that what I have to say will have no value for the audience.
About a month before this event with the C people my fear level began to creep up. The person bringing me in called me to tell me more about the event and the audience. In order to be a part of this group each member had to have had a minimum salary of 250K. They had to have a minimum title of Executive Vice President in their organization. There were a couple other qualifications that made me wonder what I had gotten myself into.
Fear had already begun to creep in prior to the call. Now, it was progressing at a more rapid pace. It was affecting my sleep. It was affecting my interactions in other areas. About two days before the event it was like an avalanche running down a mountain ripping up trees and gobbling up skiers in its path. Why in the world would people of these pedigrees want to hear anything I have to say? I cannot relate to the world in which they live and operate!
It is an interesting position I’m in. I speak about fear and courage and how to help people overcome their fear and grow in their courage. Yet, those two emotions continue to play themselves out in my life every day.
In preparing for this big event I had to put my own words into practice. In order to avoid the takeover I first needed to acknowledge my fear. I needed to name it. I needed to call it out. All too often, I pretend it’s not there. That’s when the fear creep begins. The longer we wait to acknowledge it the more it takes over. If you wait too long you’ll have a tsunami or an avalanche that is difficult to stop.
The event went well. In fact, one man shared with me some very personal things about his fears of being good enough to be in the role in which he served. I was not expecting that. Title and salary do not take away your fears.
Is there a takeover going on in your life right now that you need to acknowledge? What fear have you been avoiding? Naming and acknowledging your fear is the first step to courage. It’s time to stop the invasion now!
You can do this! Take that first courageous step today!
Do you need a speaker for an upcoming event? I’d love to be that guy. You can reach me at dave@cultivatecourage.com or 952-200-7499.
