Although this week’s earlier post had a lot to do with handling success, there was a bit more to it than that. It was about that underlying sensation that often accompanies a groundswell of good fortune, even when you’ve been working hard for it for as long as you can remember. What exactly is it? Uncertainty? Doubt? Sure, maybe. But underneath all of that, there’s really something else buried deep in there.
Scared to say it?
Yeah, you’ve got it. It’s fear. Fear of success, fear of uncharted territory, fear of having more than you think you can handle, and of course, fear of failure. Honestly, could there be a more appropriate moment for a “no-fail” mindfulness challenge? You can’t go wrong, you can’t do it badly, and you get all the kudos just for trying.
This weekend’s version is pretty straightforward, too, so you’re extra lucky. You’ve got enough stress in your life, after all. My job is to help you offload some of that.
Some of our weekly “no-fail” mindfulness challenges are meditations or other mindfulness practices that I walk you through step by step. Others are more about overall awareness of your thoughts or behaviors, which I tend to think is a little easier if you’ve maybe taken in a little bit of mindfulness first. This weekend’s challenge is of the latter variety, which means the meditation part is optional and up to you. But just like when your personal trainer tells you that a healthy breakfast will make your workout feel better, it’s on you to take that advice, or not. It’s your mindfulness party.
This weekend, find a few minutes you can set aside specifically for this exercise. By that I mean, not while you’re watching a movie, driving in city traffic, or pretending to listen to someone talk. For just a slice of your day, devote yourself to just this. You know, be present. Or try. “No-fail,” remember?
Bring to mind something that’s currently making you feel anxious, or nervous, or maybe you straight up know that you’re flat-out scared about it. It’s ok, you’re just thinking about it. So, go ahead, invite it in. Once you’ve got it in mind, ask yourself these questions:
• Where do I feel this in my body?
• When my thoughts change, do those feelings change?
• How can I shift my thoughts to adjust these feelings to be more pleasant for me?
• What does the answer to that last question tell me about this fear?
Probably quite a bit, actually. First of all, it might give you some insight into what’s actually getting under your skin about the whole situation. But even more, you can’t miss the message here that your perception of the discomfort changed as the way you looked at it changed.
Look who’s in charge after all.
Go ahead and take all that power into your weekend, and use it for the good. Fearlessly.
