This week's blog is from Lorraine Gambacourt, RDH, Presenter and Laser Trainer.

Embracing Fear=Relief and Reward

Kathleen wrote a wonderful blog last week about facing your fears. As I read it, it made me reflect on the challenges and fears that have reared their ugly heads in my life over the past several years, and the steps I took to move through them. As horrible as it can feel in the midst of your greatest challenge, it is equally as rewarding when you push through to the other side.

What fear are you dealing with right now? Or rather, maybe it is not a paralyzing fear, but a nagging thought that keeps popping into your brain over and over, forcing you to face something—to step out of your comfort zone and take some bad*** action! Unfortunately, speaking from personal experience, the unwelcome thoughts won’t stop until you deal with it. The old adage “if I ignore it will go away” is not truth. It is best to just embrace whatever it is and push through to the other side where there is relief, and a deep sense of accomplishment that comes with a resounding “YES!” that reverberates through your entire being!

2019 was my last audit year. Although early in the year, I got a good head start on my portfolio, I had a very busy 6 months that kept me from completing it. It was this time of year, September, when I started working on it again chunking it out a little each week. I was determined that I was NOT going to be among those who waited until December stricken with panic with no hope of enjoying the holidays. FOMO—fear of missing out can be a huge motivator!

Maybe your portfolio is not your fear or challenge right now. Maybe you are in a workplace that is making you feel miserable but the idea of putting together a resume and going through an interview process is even more daunting? Maybe you have always dreamed of starting your own Independent Hygiene Clinic, but the responsibilities scare you, or you don’t know where to begin. Perhaps you want to supplement your income and work with another company or become a speaker to share your knowledge and experience!

Kathleen made some valid points in her blog last week that are worth repeating: Carrying around a fear is an energy drainer. She also said that a big part of transformation is recognizing the things that don't serve you and then making a plan to make change happen, and that those obstacles (things that don’t serve you) prevent you from being the best version of yourself…

Don’t miss out on being the best version of you. You have talents and gifts that you were born with and need to be shared so you can make more of a difference in this world!

I just finished a MindValley course called The Habit of Ferocity. I love learning. Especially things that empower me to be better and may even ease some pain along the way! I would like to share some of the things I learned that really resonated that may help you overcome any obstacle.

Fear automatically shows up when we face a challenge. Fear is a mind killer, causes you to constrict, and release neurochemicals that block learning and creativity. An interesting point to make however, is that mammals have a difficult time feeling curiosity/excitement, and anxiety/fear at the same time! When you train up curiosity, you dampen fear.

The presenter of this course mentioned a study that compared using mindfulness meditation to reduce fear, versus something called cognitive reframing. An example of this is thinking about the thing you are fearful about and saying “I am excited!” THREE times. This practice turned out to be more effective than 20 minutes of meditation!

Fear, challenge and risk taking can also be powerful motivators. Whenever you prepare to take a risk or move in a fear you get a huge rush of dopamine, that “feel good” brain chemical which will help you to keep going! For super successful people, fear is a constant companion. They run towards challenge, use fear as a compass and lean into challenges on a daily basis, a little at a time.

Below are some simple actions steps to help transmute any fear. The first thing you must do however, is to decide if you are willing to do something differently or take some sort of action. If you are not going to change your behaviour, the fear is going to continue to resurface.

· Make a list of the 3 biggest fears you have

· Chunk each one down into small action steps

· Ask yourself: How can I do this? Who can I speak to who has “been there, done that” that can help to decrease my fear and anxiety? Do I have enough information to help me move forward? If not, do some research. ( All of these questions helps train up your curiosity)

· Think about the thing you are fearful of and say “I am excited” three times out loud!

So, is it time for you to rise to a challenge? Face the fear and do it anyway? Will the result be worth it? Absolutely!!

The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu

Kathleen created a Google Form (please click) for you to share your fears. She would love to hear from you as she speaks about overcoming fear in some of her presentations. You can be anonymous or share your name. She will be the only one sifting through these.

Lorraine Gambacourt, RDH

Thank you for reading and have a great week ahead. Please take a look below for what is coming up!

Kindest regards,

Kathleen