Deal With It So Everyone Benefits

In 1967 Barbra Streisand was singing at a Central Park concert in New York when she forgot the words to the song. This was a horrible experience for her as she is a perfectionist. Barbra was not able to perform again for twenty-seven years because she just couldn't let go of her negative emotions! She entered therapy, took anti-anxiety medication and made a decision to use Teleprompters in the future so she would never have to worry about forgetting the words again.

In 1994 Barbra returned to the stage in Las Vegas. She is now able to record and to perform. This is possible because she had the courage to face her fears and the determination to follow through. Now we can all enjoy not only her beautiful voice but also her story of success that involves conquering her fear.

On August 20, 2013, Antoinette Tuff was at the school in Atlanta where she is employed as a bookkeeper. A twenty-year old entered the school with an AK-47-style assault rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and "nothing to live for" according to his own self-report. Antoinette became a hero that day. She used her calm demeanor to convince her kidnapper that she would speak on his behalf to a 911 dispatcher. He agreed and while she communicated with the operator and him about his fears and problems, she was able to form a bond with him.

Antoinette told the man about her own past struggles and how she got through them. She explained that her church pastor was teaching the congregation about anchoring and how important it is for everyone to have an anchor of faith. Even though she had never met the man before, she told him that she loved him and would try to help him so that he wouldn't have to go away for a long time. She convinced him to put down his gun and lie down while they waited for the police to arrive and arrest him. The result was that Antoinette saved the lives of over 850 students and teachers as well as her own and the man's lives.

When the trauma ended, Antoinette told the 911 operator ""Let me tell you something, baby. I've never been so scared in all the days of my life. Oh, Jesus."

Both Barbra and Antoinette have provided wise advice from which we can benefit. Barbra was interviewed by Oprah and has shared her thoughts about anxiety as follows: "Performing is not about perfection. I could never perform live if it were. For me, it's about raising the money to do good in the world. It's about self-acceptance. It's about believing that I am enough."

Antoinette was a special guest on the CNN Heroes 2013 show. She said "Batter your fears and allow your pain to push you into your passion".

What fears do you have that stop you from doing what you were really meant to do? Are people missing out because you haven't dealt with them? What are you going to do about them this week?

Remember, there is only one person in the world who can face and make a plan to conquer the fears that are holding you back but there could be thousands who will benefit once you have done this.

Consider the words of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt who said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

Fear and faith are not compatible. Which do you choose?

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://lindahancock.com

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker