You might not realize it, but deep down everyone is afraid. The big difference between you and all those people you can see who are successful is that they confronted their fears. They worked through their issues to get ahead or went ahead in spite of them. If you don’t face your fears, you’re likely to miss out on a lot in life. Someone once said that one of the saddest ways to sum up life is with could have, might have, and should have. Don’t let that happen to you.
You have a choice between controlling or being controlled by your fears. Here are 4 top tips for overcoming your fears and achieving your goals.
- Baby steps
No matter what your fears are, from public speaking to mountain climbing, you don’t have to do it all in one go. Work out what you want to achieve and take baby steps. Each small success will increase your confidence and shrink down that fear.
- You don’t have to do it alone
No one said you had to hide your fear or overcome it all by yourself. Build up a support network of family, friends, and colleagues who’ll have your back and cheer you on. Get professional advice from a coach or mentor or buddy up with a friendly colleague.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and JoyLink for 40 Habits Signup
bit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealthIf you’d like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here’s the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub
www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com
If you have anxiety issues that seem overwhelming, get professional help. Be kind to yourself and get whatever support you need.
- Accentuate the positive
A positive mindset will go a long way to help dispel fears and worries. A negativity spiral makes things worse, increasing your paralysis and helplessness.
Look around you and actively identify what’s going right in your life. Change your mindset and expectations to focus on abundance and success. Half the battle is learning to accept that you deserve success, you deserve to win. You can focus your energy on getting there.
- Take control of the story
Rewriting your narrative can knock your fears on the head once and for all. If you see yourself as a competent, successful person, those niggles of self-doubt, that negative self-talk won’t be able to get a toe-hold.
Take control of your story, decide to be brave, confident and successful. Write down all the negative things that go round and round in your head. Make a list, and for every bad thing write a positive one. Bat down the self-doubt by setting down your skills, your strengths, your good points. You’ll soon see they outnumber the weaknesses, and you’ll be back in control of your own success story.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org