Wednesday, January 14, 2009

What Keeps Most People Stuck In An Average Life?

By Scott Edwards

This is hardly a new thing to ask; it's a question that's been around for as long as people have existed. Some of the best thinkers over the centuries have looked at the factors that hold us back - the part of human nature that limits our achievements in life.

It's a basic instinct that keeps us safe. Referred to as many things over the years - it's what you and I know as fear. You've probably heard of the 'fight or flight' reaction, an essential tool for the early human race. At its simplest level, it's what makes us jump when someone says BOO!

We all have a comfort zone and when we step out of it, or danger comes into it, we experience an adrenaline rush enabling us to fight or run away. Our natural default setting is to run and get back into our comfort zone as quickly as possible. We log the experience in our brain as it was very uncomfortable and programme ourselves not to do it again.

But sabre tooth tigers are not really a threat to us these days, and most fear is in our heads. FEAR could be descibed as False Evidence Appearing Real. Even though the vast majority of the time the worst doesn't happen, we're brilliant at imagining that it will. By contrast, hardly any of us ever imagine the best that could happen, yet the few who do visualise their success are much more likely to achieve it.

Fear has been used as a tool by ruling bodies for many years. Political leaders and even churches have used fear to control people over the ages - to keep society in order. It's likely that even your mum had it in her bag of tricks when you were small! But actually we have a choice - we can feel the fear and do it anyway, or whimper back and stay average.

If you want to change some things in your life you have to change some things in your life - that might sound ridiculous, but in fact what it's really saying is no problem can be solved with the same level of thinking that caused it. Any improvement you want to make will involve change.

Anything significant enough to make a worthy change is bound to involve doing something different, which will take you out of your comfort zone. It therefore stands to reason that you'll feel uncomfortable about what you need to do. Those who stay average avoid change because 'it doesn't feel right'. Those who move on in life know it's going to feel uncomfortable, but work through that and do it anyway.

By making small changes that are outside your comfort zone, that zone gradually gets larger as you start to build up your confidence. Make a list of the positives and negatives of anything you do - looking objectively at something helps you to break down your fear.

As Shakespeare said, "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." Don't let your fears and doubts rob you of the good things in life. - 16928

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