Facing Your Fear(s) Part I

This story centers around an old expression called ‘The fear of flying’. It's an old expression that has been around for decades.  I’m not sure if the expression was started before the advent of Networking, but it has a direct correlation to our industry, that I’m going to share with you today.  It is important to point out that you are the pilot of your own business plane.  As you fly (by marketing your services, products and when you introduce people to your company’s business plan), there are a few fears that can appear and interrupt your smooth flight. This story is about some of those fears, and how they impacted some of the people I've known throughout the year.

Fear of flying number one: Getting started! Sometimes getting started is tougher than the climb to the top position in your company. When you start, it requires the strength to step outside the accepted ‘Norms’ of your circle.  It’s exciting to do something new, different and ultimately rewarding, but that means you’re challenging yourself to excel in areas you’re not familiar with.  Even more of a challenge, you may not be able to rely on the people in your circle to help you get better.  You may end up mentoring under people who are different than you, and what your accepted (up to this point) “norm’ is.

I’m here today to share with you that starting, or what we call ‘Launching’ your business can be more of a challenge than the hurdles presented when you’re driving your business to the top levels of success.  You see after you've been in the business for a while, and you’re on your 'Run to hit a top corporate position, the hurdles to conquer aren’t dealing with challenging you to change your lifestyle.  You’ve already faced that and now your goal is to mast the ability to get better at the business behaviors you're currently practicing.  When you do that, you begin to achieve your goals. Launching your new business is about your ability to overcome the hurdles both mental and physical of looking at a new set of business challenges and then staying around with a goal of achieving success.  

Remember, starting, engaging and putting your foot on your business gas pedal are huge steps.  In the fear of flying annals, starting your business Launch is one of the largest fears because it deals with change. I know some of you may be saying I've already been in the industry, it's hasn’t really been a big change or scary. But starting is a challenge because it's committing to attack a goal aggressively. It's the first step in taking on a new business model with the goal of mastering it to one degree or another.

To overcome this beginning 'Fear', is the same as when you took your first airplane ride.  Step one, you committed by purchasing your ticket, you cleared security, you walked to the gate, you may have even purchased a snack to get a little more comfortable. Then the biggest test of all, you gave up your ticket and got on the plane. It's the same with getting started in our industry; You enrolled, you opened your welcome package, you had a game plan review with your sponsor or mentor. You may have even asked someone you trust to go with you to a gathering, just to make you a little bit more comfortable. And then you did it you walked, or rode over to someone's house, or maybe you met them at a coffee shop and you took the first step, you got started!

Fear of flying number two: Deciding to ‘Stick and stay’.  Sticking and staying is the process of deciding that everything you’ve gone through in the beginning Is worth hanging around, to experience success. Even though it doesn’t sound like a huge step, deciding to stay is tough. It means you realize that whatever’s happened up to this point, has taken place and will help make you a better networker. What if almost everything has been positive for you?  Even if 90% of everything that is happening has been positive, it doesn’t mean that the people around you have experienced the same success. If the people in the business you care about, the ones whose growth, development, ups and downs you have shared in haven’t had that same 90% good times you’ve had, then your great times aren’t complete.

Part II cont'd next week.

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