My grandfather had an effective way of dealing with any fears, uncertainties and doubts I had as a kid. I was very afraid of my grandparent’s horse when I was a young boy, but one day my grandfather’s exuding confidence finally convinced me to at least get up on the horse and feel what it was like to “sit on the horse.” As soon as I got on the horse, my grandfather took a two-by-four and hit the horse on its rear end. That horse took off running as fast as it could across the ten-acre Indiana corn field. I was able to hang on for the first 400 yards and then down to the ground I went. I picked myself up off the ground and was ready to go on another exciting ride. All my FUD of riding that horse suddenly vanished that day when my grandfather forced me to face my FUD with action.
Here’s a success triangle to help you find your traction so you can take massive action in the face of your own fears, uncertainty, and doubts.
Leg 1 – Outrageous Confidence
I was at my grandparent’s lake cottage. I was always afraid of the water, so I would not go swimming with the other kids. Once again, Grandpa had a way of curing my FUD. He gathered us together to go for a ride around the lake in the pontoon boat. As soon as we got close to the beach on the lakeshore, he threw me into the water and off he went across the lake in the boat. I thought I was going to drown that day. However, I made it to the shore and from that day on I was never afraid of swimming. Once again, when I was forced to confront my FUD with corresponding action, my FUD was
released!
Confidence Coaching Key – Outrageous confidence ignites outrageous actions which produces outrageous rewards in life and business.
My grandfather had outrageous confidence in my ability to ride a horse and swim across the lake. However, I did not have any confidence in myself that I could do it. I needed the fuel of confidence to get me out of my comfort zone and into the adventure zone (see graph). My grandfather’s outrageous confidence in me caused him to take an outrageous action by hitting the horse with a two by four and by pushing me off the pontoon boot. The result? Achievement! I did something I had never done before and I received an outrageous reward of the feeling of pleasure for achievement. I tasted the wonderful feeling of what it is like to leave my comfort zone and experience the adventure zone.
A recent article in the local newspaper had a headline which read, “THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE.” I wondered where it would be; Was it Detroit? Miami, Los Angeles, New York? Chicago? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the most dangerous place to live was not a geographical position on a map. The most dangerous place to live in is your comfort zone. The place of security, safety, the known, the familiar, the status quo, a place of no dreams, and just making a living instead of creating an exciting life. The comfort zone is a place where stretching your confidence and pursuing your destiny are things of the past. The comfort zone is a sad place. Losers are content to grow old there.
Real winners cannot be satisfied or fulfilled there. Race cars are created to drive at high speeds. Planes are created to fly. Eagles are created to soar. You are created for outrageous success. However, you must leave of your comfort zone to achieve it.
I read another article about “THE TEN MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO LIVE.” I began to ponder, Is it Key West, Fiji, Hawaii, or Bermuda? And once again I realized this is not a geographic place. The most beautiful place to live is in the adventure zone. The place were risk taking is normal. This place if full of dreamers, excitement, fun, energy, the unknown, financial abundance and living above the status quo. As they say in the Bahamas, “Come to paradise Mon.” The invitation to come is always on the table.
COACHING QUESTION:
Do you have the confidence necessary to leave where you are to go to a better place?
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