When times are tough it’s tempting to be fearful. Isn’t it “natural” to fear the company, the economy, the IRS, the creditors and the terrorists? But fear cripples us. It creates a psychological and spiritual dullness, sucking the life out of our soul and deadening our creativity and initiative. Jesus issued 21 commands challenging us to “not be afraid” or to “have courage.” The second most common command, to love God and our neighbor, appears only eight times. It seems he recognized how fear stops us in our tracks and so the one teaching he gave more than any other was “don’t be afraid.”
If you’re living in fear you will never reach your full potential. You are stifling your ability to create, earn, give, love and receive. I know you don’t want to live like that. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait on “things” to get better. When you increase your faith, your fear will diminish. When you increase your faith in yourself, your faith in your fellow man, and your faith in God, you will break the chains of fear and release a new season of success in your life.
************************** “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:31 (NIV)
Yesterday while at the Nashville Zoo with my granddaughter, we watched as the zookeeper offered to let small children hold an ostrich egg. These amazing eggs are approximately 24 times the size of a chicken egg and weigh about 3 pounds. But rather than embracing a once-in-a-lifetime experience, almost without exception the parental caution was heard loud and clear - “Now, don’t drop that egg.”
Just what do you suppose was at the top of every little child’s mind as they carefully took that big egg into their arms? Were they marveling at the size, wondering how long it would take to hatch, imagining using that egg as a volleyball, or basking in the educational enrichment of the moment? No, I suspect that the thought foremost in their minds was - “If I drop this egg I’m in big trouble.” I doubt that the teaching experience went much beyond the fear of dropping that egg.
Fear masks our ability to see the positive.
On March 3rd, 1943 an air raid siren sounded in London. The citizens of London knew they were at war with Germany and that a retaliation attack was possible. But with nothing but the sound of the siren, panic and mass hysteria was the result. 1500 people tried to get down the steps of the Bethnal Green train station tunnel for protection. One lady, carrying her small baby, tripped on the stairs and fell. Within a few seconds 300 people were crushed into the tiny stairwell. The chaos lasted less than 15 minutes, but 172 people were dead at the scene, with one more dying the next day.
No German bombs fell that day. The largest number killed by any single bomb in the entire war in England was 68. The crush at Bethnal Green was the largest loss of civilian life in the UK in World War II. But bombs didn’t kill those people - fear did.
If you’re focused on not dropping the egg you:
Will not try for the promotion now. I’ll just hang on to what I have.
Will not start a business in this economy. It’s too risky.
Will not buy a house. If I ever get behind on payments the bank could foreclose.
Will never love deeply. What if I’m not loved in return?
Will not give generously. There's no guarantee of return.
Will not dream richly. I've got to be practical and realistic in these trying times.
Most people have never held an ostrich egg. They base their experience on knowing chicken eggs are fragile and break with the tap of a spoon. Most people don’t know that an ostrich egg has a thick shell that requires a hammer or drill to crack. Their perception is that the “risk” is much greater than it actually is.
Maybe the people holding you back have experienced too much pain, shortage and despair. They may be watching too much news on TV. They don't know the thrill of living out your passion. Don’t let their fear deprive you of completing your "bucket list." Go ahead, take that trip, write that book, open that ice cream shop or buy that little house you’ve been wanting. And if you drop the egg, call 20 of your friends and enjoy an incredible omelet.
How’s this for an innovative employer move? Hard Rock Café in Nashville is shutting down for a three-month renovation at a time when unemployment is already high. Obviously the most cost effective move for the company would be to let their current workers go - and just replace them when they have the remodeling completed. Wait staff are easy to find in this economic environment - right? Hard Rock is a cool place to work and applicants are always standing in line. But that’s not what they’re doing. The 71 employees will stay busy with assignments at community charity organizations.
“We felt it was appropriate at this time to hold onto our greatest asset, our people,” general manager Jim McGonagle said. The employees will “volunteer” a total of roughly 2,000 hours a week at various Nashville non-profits.
Started in London in 1971, Hard Rock’s motto is “Love all, serve all.” It appears this is a corporate motto that really means something.
Welcome to 48 Days radio where each week I look through the submitted questions and then blast through as many as possible right here to give you the unique tools for your own success.
I’m soooo sick of this place
I am having a difficult time finding the decision makers who actually have the funds to give to our 5013c. Do you have any advice on where to find prospects? I am finding the method is different for fundraising vs a direct sale and I am a little lost at the moment.
I am currently compiling a reading list for my children and would like your advice. My goal is to compile a list of books that I believe are essential for my kid’s to read before leaving home to college. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
We have been working for about a year on the side doing web design, data entry, and marketing for a Real Estate friend and she pays us a percentage of her sales......Dan, could this be a start of a real business for my wife and I doing the same work for other Real Estate agents?.
I have thought about interviewing some big respected/admired names (leaders) in my community/country, putting the interviews on CD and selling them. Would I need to pay some money to the interviewees if I get to sell these at a decent price?
i'm 54 yrs. old living in New York City. I got divorced 4 yrs. ago, i've alway's been self-employed in sales, i'm out of work now, i feel stuck in my situation, i really don't know what my calling is, it seem's i've never been able to find it. I'm a want to be actor, but never really pursuit it, my self-esteem very low it have alway's been, i come from a very disfuntional family. I read both your book's there great. It's how to apply them in a tangiable way, that i'm having problem's with. Anyway, if you could give me some tip's i would greatly appreciate it. Thank You, so much and, please excuse me, i didn't mean it to be a therapy session.
Right now at 63 I am sooo sick of the place I am. I was raised on a farm in Tennessee, served in the 82nd Airborne, worked in a number of factories, owned and operated a boarding kennel, studied commercial art in school, am presently an amateur photographer. I loved all of the things I have done in life except what I do now and I hate it. I read your excerpt from No More Mondays in Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine. I have read it and read it and read it. That little article sooooo inspires me. How do I do this??????????????
************************** If you have a question, just email me at askdan@48Days.com and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life.
And you can click the link below to listen to this week’s broadcast immediately - no downloading - no wait.
Living, Loving & Working Symposium Join Dan & Joanne for this unforgettable 2-day event here at the Sanctuary in Franklin, TN on Sept. 17-18th, 2009. We’ll be covering issues like:
Is it still possible to find - or create - the work you love?
How can you make your house a peaceful place even with the challenges of work and business?
Is it still possible to find - or create - the work you love?
How can you survive the hard times while maintaining family strength and vitality?
What should we be teaching our children about work and careers?
How do you support your spouse when things are uncertain?
Can you really enjoy the different “seasons” of life?
************************** Dan’s 5 Tips for Entrepreneurs Here’s a brief and entertaining video where my son Kevin interviews me on my advice for anyone starting a venture of their own. He also gives details on the upcoming Free Agent Academy event Sept. 21-23 in beautiful Woodland Park, CO. See if you agree with my 5 tips: Free Agent Academy Colorado Event
************************** Coaching with Dan
Many of you ask if I still coach people individually. Yes, I do. Feel like you've taken too much time to get to the success you want? Is fear holding you back? These are common issues with the hundreds of people that contact us each month looking for a new start. Give us some brief information and I'll recommend one of my coaching packages to launch you into the next successful season of your life: Coaching with Dan
************************** 48Days.net
At 48Days.net you’ll see over 3800 other excited people who have ideas - and plans for their accomplishment. If you want your life to be different this year, get involved with people who are on the same path. There is no cost - just lots of people who are committed to helping each other succeed.
************************** Are you ready to move past fear?
Do you know how to take advantage of change?"?
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the 48 Days Career Profile. What's the best environment for you to live out your "calling?" You can find out here.
"It is never safe to look into the future with eyes of fear." ~ E. H. Harriman
"Never take counsel of your fears." ~ Andrew Jackson
"The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortunes, but its fears." ~ Arthur Christopher Benson
"Half our fears are baseless; the other half discreditable." ~ Christian Bovee
"If a man harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through all his thinking, damages his personality, makes him a landlord to a ghost." ~ Lloyd C. Douglas
"He who is afraid of a thing gives it power over him." ~ Moorish Proverb
"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do." - Pope John XXIII
Do you know how to take advantage of change?"?
