Following my Rick Rubin quote post, I thought more about fear in taking an action and in the resulting consequences.
Looking back in your past, how many of you were trained on (over)analyzing the consequences of your actions?
As a fellow computer and software engineer, and then a product designer, I was constantly bombarded by worrying about the implications of what I was working on now, and making sure I could anticipate and take care of problems before they happened, and affected thousands if not millions of customers downstream.
This certainly has value in the product creation process, whether it’s an app or a physical product.
When this notion spills over into other parts of your life, then things can go awry.
Or when your parents, whose own fears and insecurities – their conservative nature – gets burned into your psyche as a child and remains to this day. Yes they wanted to protect you, shield you from the pain that they went through (or are still feeling).
But in their good intentions – wrapped around their own fears – they also created a fearful child.
Afraid to take the next step.
Any step.
Stopped in their tracks by multitude of paths. And the saber tooth tigers lurking down each one.
Of being punished for taking the wrong one. Or the one that others feel are wrong for you.
Looking for approval by someone else – your parents, still, perhaps – before taking the step.
The fearful child is now a fearful adult.
Do your days in life and at work feel like this?
Is your mind occupied by the fear of the future and its uncertainties and what might happen to you if you take any step whatsoever?
Take a moment to try this.
Sit quietly and close your eyes. Let all that fearful vision of the future seep into your consciousness. Note how it feels. Describe it. Derive some words.
Then…bring into your awareness the sensations of your body. Your breathing. The air against your skin. The feel of your clothes. Your seat against the chair you’re sitting in. The feet against the ground.
See the light behind your eyelids. The light of the sun, or perhaps a desk lamp.
Take notice of sounds. The chirp of birds outside. A car going by. The hum of your refrigerator.
Take all that in for a moment. Minutes even.
Now take stock of yourself. How do you feel right now?
Was it better for you to live in the present or dwell in thoughts about the future? Love to hear your results in the comments!
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