Article By Michele Williams:: EEW Magazine Coaching
Her name was Shirley. Before I got to know her, I thought this lady was absolutely crazy!
Two days after working at her new job, which landed her in the cubicle next to mine, she came running past me and ducking behind my chair.
“Kill it! Kill it!” she screamed, trembling.
It turned out to be a baby spider—the kind you just smash with your hand and go wash off. It was so little.
The next episode came when she saw a fruit fly buzzing around her desk. She ran again, hid behind my black swivel chair and freaked out.
I was amazed that she could even keep a job with her crippling terror of bugs.
It did not matter how harmless or little the flying insect or creepy crawler was, it set her off and hindered both of our productivity.
After a while, it became too much. I had to talk to Shirley and let her know she could not go flying off the handle and losing her mind every time she saw a bug. We had work to do in a professional environment and she couldn’t be interrupting calls and throwing me off track.
She didn’t stop.
She didn’t keep her job either.
Eventually, the complaints grew from other workers and she had to go. It was one of the weirdest things I had ever experienced, and I have seen some pretty crazy things in my years working in the commercial insurance industry.
These days, the legend of Shirley has become a running joke in the office. I have even seen her since that time and laughed with her about how she is forever famous at her former job.
But unlike others who focus only on her wild and outlandish reactions to some of the tiniest creatures in nature, I see something deeper.
Shirley lost an opportunity because she let her fears distract and overtake her. Instead of controlling her fears, they controlled her, and robbed her of lucrative employment.
What are you afraid of? What sends you running in the opposite direction to avoid facing it? What is that thing or those things that hinder you from maximizing your potential?
Get a hold on fear or it will have a hold on you. Here are 3 ways to do it:
1. Realize It’s Not So Bad: Whatever day-to-day things scare you out of your wits like talking in front of people; sharing your vision; going after the job or client; pitching a potential business partner; or finishing up the book, looks a lot worse than it is. The more you validate your fear of it by running from it, the scarier it will appear.
2. You Must Face It Afraid: Although the thing that scares you will apply that internal pressure to run away, run toward it. Face it afraid. To help you tackle bigger issues of fear, start with smaller things. For example, if you are afraid of roller coaster rides, the next time you head to the amusement park, get on one. Once you survive it and see that it isn't the worst thing in the world, you will feel emboldened to try more new things.
#3 Remember, Fear Is Not Worth Your Destiny: Your fear may not be bugs, but whatever it is, if you allow it to control you, it has the potential to ruin you.
Fear or Destiny: Choose which one you most want to keep. One has to go. As the Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Your Homework:
List out your fears, but only the ones that stop you from going after what you believe God says you can have. Pray over them and begin doing things that defy those fears, so you can loosen the grip of those chains that have a hold on you.