Fear is an interesting driver.
Have you ever started to cross a busy intersection and then heard a siren? What did you do next? Freeze, run, go back, move in a different direction, or keep going? The siren was a danger alert, and the part of your brain designed specifically to keep you safe demanded you pay attention immediately and verify your intentions.
The amygdala – the part of the brain that perceives danger and is connected to the limbic system – will send signals to make your heart pump faster, make your pupils dilate, increase your rate of breathing, and get your body ready to tackle the danger. The interesting part is that it immediately overrides the prefrontal cortex – the CEO of the brain that processes information and thinks rationally – to ensure you respond immediately to the danger.
Now, what if that perceived fear – perceived being the operative word here – is omnipresent and creates a constant state of anxiety? Overall uncertainty – the bombardment of negative news, unstable economy, striking workers, food shortages, wars, and family or health challenges – can feel overwhelming.
Can you cut yourself off from thinking rationally in a constant state of fear? Is it possible to move forward in confidence and clarity when you’re anxious?
Aha! ~ Know first, “There is no illusion greater than fear.” Lao Tzu
As the media, the government, and the banks warn of tough times ahead, it’s all too easy to begin to create stories for yourself that you must brave those tough times. But as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Wise men put their trust in ideas, not circumstances.”
As a marketer, I have compiled over 100 years of statistics and case histories to prove that digging in and upping your communications during tough times is the way to succeed deliberately. But my experience is that fear grips people, and companies tighten their belts and do the opposite. The proof that marketing is good during a downturn is apparent, but the creative, CEO of the brain is shut down by fear, and nothing is done.
In all situations and circumstances, there are challenges and opportunities. The pearl of action is to pause and check in with yourself when you feel fear – to allow your brain to think and your heart to feel.
Fear is not the driver, you are.
Tomorrow – TUESDAY November 29th – at NOON eastern we go LIVE Aha! Moment Trailblazers|Facebook to talk about that executive centre and how to put fear in its place. Join the conversation!
Succeed Deliberately!
Jae M. Rang, MAS
Strategist, Speaker, Author, Mom | 
