How to Recognize your Fears

One of the most debilitating experiences a business owner can have is being paralyzed by his or her fear and panic. We all face it at one time or another. Perhaps you experience it when you realize that a prospect you thought would become a client suddenly decides to go with a competitor, or perhaps you feel it when you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do for your business. Sometimes the fear is related to a personal issue. Regardless of why you feel fear, it can be a sensation that stops all rational thought and paralyzes your ability to make a choice.

However the feeling of fear doesn't have to be that way. Learning to recognize your fears can be a proactive first step toward resolving them so that you can focus on your business success. While the examples I used above are clear situations where fear has manifested, it's not always so clear cut. Sometimes the fear we feel manifests as a subtle tension that is felt in the body, or conveyed in our actions. Learning to recognize this tension for what it is can help us proactively recognize fear and begin dealing with it before it gets to a stage where it overwhelms us.

One of the best methods for recognizing fear is meditation. When I talk about meditation, I'm not talking about emptying your mind (although that is one form of meditation). I'm talking about using meditation to recognize the tension that you feel in your body. This kind of meditation intentionally focuses on feeling the tension in the body, as well as recognizing any thoughts that arise around that tension. The reason we do this meditation is to feel and acknowledge the fear and any other emotions we are feeling. It can be used to defuse those feelings and provide perspective on the situation those emotions are centered around.

To do this meditation, sit in a chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor. Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (This is a Taoist meditation technique we are using and you always touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth to connect the internal chi in your body). Breathe in through your nose and focus your awareness on drawing the breath all the way down to your diaphragm. When you exhale,  apply your awareness to following your breath out of your body. You'll want to create a rhythm of breathing that allows you to feel your body and focus on the sensation of breathing going in and out of your body.

Once you get used to this sensation, allow yourself to focus on how your body is feeling. Do you feel tension anywhere in your body? If you do, as you keep breathing, focus your awareness on that tension, allowing yourself to fully feel it and be present with it. It may feel painful, but stick with it. See what else you feel around it. You may feel some fear or other emotions and as you are focused on it, you may have some thoughts that arise. Pay attention to what the thoughts are expressing.

When you come out of your meditative state, write down what you experienced so that you can look it over and reflect on it. The information will help you understand the fears you are feeling, and it will also help you understand how those fears and other emotions are expressed in the tension in your body. You can use this understanding to help you discover internal obstacles that may hinder your business development.