Picking Up Momentum
When I was a kid one of my favorite gifts was a Black Knight skateboard. When I first got it we lived in a neighborhood with a big four-lane street with long expanses of well-finished sidewalks. It was perfect for zipping through the neighborhood and learning simple skateboard tricks. I couldn’t have been happier, then, we moved. Our new neighborhood was at the top of a very steep street and our house was on a street with no sidewalks. I tried to skateboard a few times on the steep street but when the board got rolling so fast I was terrified, pretty soon I put the skateboard away and started walking or riding my bike. The sad thing is that I deprived myself of something I loved because I was afraid of momentum. Playing small and being cautious turned out to be a pattern I repeated again and again throughout my life.
I played it safe and that might have been wise, but sometimes safe comes at a high price. Lately, I’ve been noticing how I resist momentum or quit because of fear. I’ve come up with a few strategies to help me cope with my anxiety as my life gets bigger or as things move faster.
First I acknowledge my own weakness and discomfort in this area and forgive myself for not being more of a risk taker.
Second I try to assess whether the danger is real. I love the acronym for FEAR, False Evidence Appearing Real. If there is no real threat I try to move forward despite my fears.
Third I check with other people to see if they have experience with the situation I fear. If they do I ask for advice.
Since launching our books Laura and I have been invited to be guests on a couple of podcasts and to teach some workshops. For both of us this it is a new experience. It’s exciting to see the momentum build around projects we care about. This time I’m not going to chicken out, I’m going to ride this ride as fast as it will carry us.
Catch Laura on the Purple Ink Café Presents on November 7 at 4 PM PT. And stay tuned when we air on Women at Work and Lauri’s Lemonade Stand later this year.
