Big Hairy Deal

Have you ever been stopped dead in your tracks by fear? Several years ago I was on a hike in Glacier National Park. I was in my own world when suddenly a huge grizzly bear was in my path. My heart was pounding as I remembered hearing that bears can run up to 35 mph.

On my left was a steep mountain, and on my right was a lake. I finally got a grip and breathed down the fear. The bear eventually retreated up the mountain, and I was able to move forward on the path back to the car. I had three bear encounters that day and was never happier to get off a trail in my life.

While a bear encounter might scare most people, there are non-physical threats that can also paralyze us with fear. I was reminded of this when I popped in a video that Bob Doyle, from The Secret, sent me. He had told me that Eva Gregory and I would be featured in a voice-over in the beginning, so I wanted to see how it turned out. I was delightfully inspired when I got into the story of it.

It’s a documentary about challenging yourself to go after a dream. Bob Doyle is going after his goal of singing in front of a live audience. Bob is stopped dead in his tracks when his coaches in the film ask him to sing opera. Not only does he dislike opera music, but all of his limiting beliefs kick in about “looking good” and “doing it perfect”. He can’t take on the task for hours.

As I watched the documentary I could feel his fear. I personally don’t sing any type of music in front of anyone unless the stereo is louder than me. Yet, if you asked me to sing opera just for the heck of it, I’d have no issue. So, why was Bob making it a big hairy deal?

The Law of Attraction wants to pull us back to the beliefs that we keep thinking. If you have a limiting belief that is always triggered when you step out of your comfort zone, you have to be very intentional to break through to a new belief.

Have you ever made a big hairy deal (stressed yourself out) out of something that you knew wasn’t logical, yet you couldn’t shake it off? I know I have. I used to not be able to shift into an empowered place for sometimes days or weeks. Now, I use a very simple technique when the fear threatens to shut down my existence.

I focus on what I want to create. For example this past week I had to present my business plan to a group of people in my mastermind. I talk in front of hundreds of people each week teaching them about creating their desired business results, but this presentation was getting underneath my skin.

I asked myself what part of it was scary to me. I wanted to make sure I was explaining my business in a way that was clear, and I didn’t want to forget anything. I decided that my biggest concern was looking like a “professional presenter”. Argh. In short, a version of the limiting belief, “ I want to look good.”

I decided to focus on what I really wanted, which was feedback, ideas and support of my fellow mastermind partners. That desired outcome would not rely on my presenting my business plan in a professional way. I instantly relaxed a little bit.

Big hairy deals are not usually anything more than a perspective that disconnects us from our power. They usually focus on the worst possible outcome rather than the best. Focusing on the best outcomes will usually motivate you to inspired action and a fulfilling result. No more big hairy deals.