Coach’s Challenge for August 22, 2004

Hi Team,

The coach’s challenge of the week is to be aware of fear. Fear is an emotional state. It occurs when a fear provoking

stimulus activates our adrenal glands and a chemical reaction occurs in the body. We all know what it feels like. It’s

the surge of energy we feel when we are physically in danger and we need to move quickly. It’s the sweaty palms and the dry throat we experience when we have to give a speech in front of a large crowd. It’s the experience of butterflies in the

stomach. The question is how do we deal with fear?

Being aware of fear when it happens to us tends to take some of the power out of the emotion. We can say, “I’m experiencing a lot of fear right now, perhaps I should take a moment to collect myself and breathe.” Or, we can try to reason with ourselves to realize that most fears fade when we face the facts of a situation. William Shakespeare wrote, “Present fears are worse than horrible imaginings.”

When we are attentive to what is before us, fear has less of a chance to control our thoughts and we are less apt to be in negative imagination about all the things that can go wrong in the future. Shakespeare also wrote, “Things done well and with a care, exempt themselves from fear.”

We can always ask for help when we are experiencing fear. Relying on our team members to support us when we’re struggling is one of the great benefits of working together. We just need to not be afraid to ask for help when we need it.

Have a good week,

Kathleen