Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway
‘Feel the Fear and do it Anyway’ is the mantra I live by most days of my life.
Why?
In 1986 we moved to Toowoomba from our cattle property, ‘McAllister,’ in the Gulf. (Reference my book ‘Back of Beyond’)
Behind this outwardly confident, extravert is a jibbering introvert! I found myself far from the freedom and space of 234 square miles of outback cattle country, transported into suburbia and a business where I was seated every day behind a computer and a telephone. Both are my pet hates!
Did I feel fear? You bet.
Did I have to do it anyway? You bet.
Dealing with business meetings, sales updates, sale staff, administrative staff, factory workers and prospective clients was overwhelming to me. I floundered while my extravert husband thrived.
In an attempt to de-stress his anxious wife, Rick booked me in for a treat, for a ‘float tank.’ Rather than being a treat, I found it terrifying. I was lowered into an enormous tank full of water with the addition of anti-stress herbs and essential oils. Then the softly spoken therapist gently closed the lid. I was now floating in a tomb with soft music playing. This was fear. The Blue Danube was not doing it for me in this dark world.
I didn’t last the full hour and came out more stressed than when I went in!
Not to be thwarted, Rick booked me into a ‘Dale Carnegie’ course. (Self confidence.)
The twelve weeks were life changing for me. It was mandatory to attend the three hour session, once a week, the only excuse not to be there was death or imprisonment. It was a commitment.
We all feel fear on a regular basis. In my latest book ‘Innocent Nurses Abroad’ I describe some of my fears:
The fear of responsibility, demanding doctors, cranky ward sisters, my first resuscitation, but I had to do it anyway.
The fearless (ha ha) ‘innocent nurses’ set off to Europe and beyond in 1968 to face many fears:
Being surrounded by armed soldiers in East Berlin, that is serious fear, but we survived.
Bogged in the middle of the Sahara desert with no idea if we would be rescued…….but we were.
Finding ourselves in the middle of political riots in Europe.
Relying on a cantankerous old school bus called ‘Dennis’ as our mode of transport and our home for four months…..fear!
In my book ‘Back of Beyond’ I describe how I lived through many challenging times:
The fear of being chased by a cranky bullock.
Living through a cyclone wreaking chaos as we hunkered down inside.
Venomous snakes, killer spiders.
A frustrated husband when I was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the mustering camp.
Isolation, and the fear for my son’s lives when I taught them distance education!! (Thankfully they survived the ordeal, but I’m permanently scarred!)
Being a published author there are fears a plenty, but now I can manage with the daily help of my mantra “Feel the Fear and do it Anyway.’
Dale Carnegie helped me to conquer the fear of public speaking. This has been an enormous help in marketing my books, but thanks to Covid I have been pushed into other fears!
Marketing remotely by the internet in its many forms.
Video marketing?
Blogs.
Podcast
Webinar
Zoom calls
YouTube
Spotify
I am grateful that I have a mentor to help me through the maze of marketing tools available.
Take a deep breath and feel that sucker and do it anyway. And on it goes. We will always live with fear in different ways in our lives. It’s how we deal with it that matters.
It all boils down to fear of failure. It’s better to have a go and fail than never have a go.
Be strong, believe in yourself. ‘Feel the fear and Do It Anyway.’
Please feel free to share my mantra. I hope it helps.
PS I am still a jibbering introvert, but who would guess?
Jenny Old AUTHOR
‘Innocent Nurses Abroad’
‘Back of Beyond’ Facebook
