Follow up Fridays: Facing Terror Head-On

This week’s reflection: What do I notice about my body’s cues? How can I use the energy of terror in constructive ways?

Lately I’ve been taking risky and bold moves which can activate my terror triggers. It showed up in my breath – stopped - or I was breathing shallowly. My chest constricted, my shoulders were tense and I had a lump in my throat. Once aware, I would breathe deeply for several minutes, raise my arms and shake them. Changing my environment, getting my body moving and taking a walk outside in the fresh fall air helped.

My mind then shifted perspective so the terror didn’t paralyze me, just gripped my attention lifting the racing thoughts in my head. I could better presence the moment, not racing into the future of “what ifs.” That’s all fiction and my imagination.

Calmed, I got curious and asked myself – what is really going on? What am I really terrified of?

I also reached out to trusted confidantes to use them as a sounding board & reality check. They reminded me of my strengths and resources, grounding me back into the possible. Finally, I addressed head-on that which I perceived to be the source of my terror – the chasm between where I was and where I wanted to be. I saw three choices – snap back to current reality and give up the aspiration, think about the gap differently or strengthen the vision and resolve on the goal. I ended the week having released & channeled some of this intensity landing on the latter two.

In the words of Darren Hardy, “To be scared is to give up your power. Do what scares you. Gain your power back.”