(Editor's Note: This is the third What Works column by Carson City Business Coach Diane Dye Hansen. This column appears every Monday on Carson Now.)
Today, I want to talk to you about something that affects both business and life in general—insecurity. There are many ways to feel insecure. We can feel insecure with ourselves, our talents, and our ability to achieve. Our jobs can make us feel insecure at times.
Other people can flip that insecurity switch as easily as they turn on the lights in their home. Financial insecurity, insecurity about being a good mother or father, it comes in many forms. I would dare to say anyone who looks you square in the face and says they have never been insecure is likely not telling the whole truth.
FEAR
Joel Osteen, a preacher and inspirational leader had this to say on the topic. “Fear and faith have something in common. They both ask us to believe in something we cannot see.”
So, what can you do about the fear in order to accept faith? You work through it. Notice I didn’t say “get over it.” You’ll hear people say that a lot. Oh, just get over it. But, if you try to get over it, what you may end up doing is distracting yourself. You’ll tell yourself, “Oh, I’m over that.” Then you will proceed to live until something triggers a fear associated with it and all fear breaks loose.
When you work through your insecurities, you face them head on. You don’t lie to yourself. You recognize the truth of the situation and you stare that big fear monster in the face and recognize why you are afraid. Are you afraid of failure? Do you know how many business owners have failed dozens if not hundreds of times before seeing success? How many dates do you need to go on or relationships do you have to have before you find the one you want to spend the rest of your life with? Fear and failure are part of life. If we are afraid to fail and we live in fear, then we’ve defeated ourselves before we have started.
Notice I’m saying “we.” I’m not exempt from this. No one is.
Since this is an interactive column, I now open it up to you. What fear will you start to conquer today? What failures or missteps will you work through (not get over)? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start.