MOTIVATION – CONTROLLING FEAR


By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC


Today’s quote comes from Marilyn C Barrick, who says:


“For the most part, fear is nothing but an illusion. When you share it with someone else, it tends to disappear.”


How fabulous is that? I think it’s marvelous – the only problem of course is that we have to get over our own selves and our own egos and our own pride and our own lack of self esteem and of course our own . . . . . fear!

Fear of what other’s may think of us,
Fear of how others may see us
Fear of how we may see ourselves
Fear!

Crazy stuff that – fear, and ironically enough something that every single person on the planet experiences at one time or another, and actually therefore nothing really to be ashamed of at all.

Owners of small businesses all over the country seem to think that they are always alone with their fears. Strange thing that, how we feel that everything that happens to us is uniquely ours!

Come on people, we are actually all in this together, surely it makes perfectly good sense to get together and unite, as a group to face the challenges that presents itself to us all as individuals. Surely it is better to ‘brainstorm’ our way through these issues rather than try to stand up in the face of perceived adversity, all by ourselves. Surely it is better to find solutions for all of us than to try and be all of everything to ourselves?

I am often told about individuals who are ‘lonely’ in business by themselves and yet that is exactly how they mean to stay – by themselves because of the ‘fear’ mostly, I guess, fear of opening themselves up to anyone, of showing how weak and/or vulnerable they are. Yet in the words of my friend and mentor Vanessa Paige – ‘Your greatest strength lies within your vulnerability’, lay my biggest ‘ah ha’ moment! Took me quite a while to get that one, but I did – eventually and I am a far stronger person for it.

Now you see, I share everything about my life with people. My fears, my challenges and my triumphs - especially my triumphs. I am not alone in my business and I don’t have to do it alone either.

Are you alone? Are you afraid and alone?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.