Often it’s the fear of uncertainty that makes us stay in our comfort zone. Absolutely understandable, because our brain, for evolutionary reasons, is oriented toward securing our existence. The familiar offers us safety and orientation through a clearly defined framework within which we move confidently over time. The unknown, on the other hand, is uncertain and initially means insecurity. We don’t know exactly what awaits us, whether we’re up to the new challenges, and how long it will take before we find our footing again. On top of that, we’ve also learned from past experience that, for example, making mistakes or falling hurts, meaning it triggers pain. Accordingly, based on prior experience and within milliseconds, our brain classifies a certain stimulus (that could be a piece of information, a thought, an idea, an investment consideration, or similar) as threatening, even if it might not actually be. As a result, we feel fear. So a protective function meant to secure our existence gets triggered here — one that in certain contexts isn’t actually useful and doesn’t move us forward, but instead holds us back from further development and growth.
Looking at this process in children makes it even clearer: young children haven’t yet collected as many negative experiences that keep them from exploring new things. They’re curious, full of drive, they try things out, sometimes they even overestimate themselves and do things that make our breath catch. But it’s exactly that which leads all of them to, for example, learn to walk. If they already associated falling with pain, only a fraction of the children in our society would be able to walk, while the rest would keep crawling. An absolutely absurd idea, right?
If we apply this insight to us as adults, it makes sense, whenever we feel fear, to take a closer look and reflect. That way, we can, for example, weigh pros and cons, think about what’s still missing for us to successfully master this step, and so on.
It also makes sense to look back at our own past. Take a look at your own journey and identify the milestones of major change. Then answer the following questions to support your reflection process:
What were moments when, despite feeling afraid, you still managed to take the next step?
What helped you with that decision?
How did you deal with unexpected obstacles and challenges?
What possibilities and potential emerged for you from the change?
In what way did you personally develop further through this step and process of change?
What valuable new experiences did you gain that help you today to make well-founded decisions and to master how you deal with certain situations and challenges?
Try it out — after this reflection, Rockefeller’s quote might take on a whole new meaning for you, and you too might succeed, when needed, in giving up the good to go for the great.
Remember: Pioneering Spirit – you state the direction of the change!
Have fun trying it out, and gathering new insights and experiences…
© Image: peterschreiber.media – stock.adobe.com
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