Time? Money? Energy? What about fear?
Mindfields and Terror Barriers—what are they and how to overcome them?
For too many years, I neglected to do what I really wanted to do out of fear…fear of failure, yes. But, also fear of not having enough…time, money, energy. Occasionally, in an atypical burst of enthusiasm, I would explore a new idea, only to get stuck as soon as I encountered any form of complication. My mind would invent all sorts of reasons why it would not work, could not work, or should not work. These are MINDFIELDS and they blow good intentions and great ideas to smithereens.
Here’s a good, relevant example: This online novel-writing project. On January 1, 2015, in launched this online writing project with the intention of publishing excerpts of the novel as I wrote them. But, then, a couple of good intentioned people cautioned me, “Oh, be careful, no publisher will publish a novel that’s already online.” Boom. The fear of doing it wrong stopped me in my tracks and I decided I needed to “step back” and “stay on the safe side”. No more novel posts—I returned to writing my novel in my closet and posting only “reflections” about it on the website.
Staying on the Safe Side of What?
Have you ever had a great idea but allowed yourself or someone else to talk you out of it based on fear…fear that it could fail? Have you ever actually embarked on making that great idea reality and then felt a sense of doubt, lack of confidence, realization that it is going to be hard, or been sidetracked by a million little distractions that your mind told you were more important or pressing? Those are all forms of the TERROR BARRIER and the Terror Barrier has been turning people’s dreams into nightmares since the dawn of time.
How do you overcome a terror barrier?
- Call it out. Recognize it for what it is—fear. Of failure. Of getting it wrong. Of the unknown. Fear.
- Know that it’s normal. The fear barrier is a deep-rooted, but misplaced, survival instinct intended to keep you safe. But, there’s a price to pay for safety.
- Climb it. Like a mountain, you either have to blast your way through the terror barrier or climb over it, one step at a time.
You blast through it with unyielding determination. You climb over it with patient persistence.
So, here I am. January 3, 2016—exactly one year after I committed to publishing excerpts of my novel online regularly in 2015. I’m renewing my commitment to regularly post excerpts from my novel as I write them.
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”
CLIMB.
Have you ever experienced the Terror Barrier? Please, tell me about it here.