Every experience or situation offers the possibility of a beneficial or detrimental outcome. It’s a fact of life: Good often comes with bad, and bad often comes with good. However, you won’t get stuck in fear of what you don’t want if you feel awe for what is and what is possible, and continually move toward what you desire.
I’ve never known this quite so strongly as this winter as the Northern California rain and wind storms hit. We so needed rain; California has been in a drought for several years. But rain tends to wreck havoc as well.
As I watched the redwoods sway in the strong winds and the rain pour down—14 inches or more in 24 hours, I felt afraid. What damage might this storm bring on my home or my neighbor’s homes? Would trees fall? Would we have floods or mud slides? Would the electricity or Internet go out?
But one day I went out and stood in the rain and took videos of a storm. I watched the trees swaying. I listened to the waterfall in our backyard. I looked at how green the plants had become. And I felt awe for the power of nature.
I can do nothing to prevent storms or the damage they might cause. But I can do something to stop myself from fearing the storm–or any type of storm. I can feel awe instead.
Fear and awe exist and opposite ends of the same spectrum. (Read more about this here.) So, each time you feel fear, you can nudge yourself closer to awe. This stops your feelings of fear.
If, for instance, you feel afraid that accepting a new job might force you to use new skills, which you might not be good at, focus on the awesome opportunity you’ve been given to grow and learn and advance your career. Feel awe for the fact that your new potential employer has faith in you and your skills.
If you feel fearful of moving to a new city, consider the awesome change you have to experience a new place. If you feel afraid of running a marathon, focus on the awesome opportunity this race offers you to get in shape and prove to yourself that you can, indeed, run a marathon. (And imagine how awesome you’ll feel when you complete the race!)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let fear keep you stuck. Instead, feel awe, and then move forward. Feel awe every time you take a small step forward and every time you take a big leap.
No matter what situation you encounter, look for a chance to back away from your fear and move closer to a perspective on the situation that allows you to feel awe. You’ll get unstuck every time!
Have you ever moved from fear to awe? Tell me about it in a comment below.
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