The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward. -Amelia Earhart
So, you are all excited about doing something new and exciting in your life. You can see it as clear as day – the vision of you accomplishing and achieving your dreams. You have done all your homework, read the books, made the plan and you are about to bring it to life in the real world! “It’s GO time, kitties!!!”
Then….
You start thinking about all kinds of things – what will people think of this? Am I too old, too young, not smart enough, don’t have enough experience….and the list gets longer and longer.
FEAR is one of the biggest obstacles we face from being better – leveling up. It holds our dreams captive and the thing is, most of the time, we are the only one who holds the key. If you are at the door, and ready to cross the threshold here are some books that might start you on your way or be the ‘extra’ you need to get to next step.
Do It Scared : Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Adversity, and Create a Life You Love [electronic resource] / Ruth Soukup
In Do It Scared, popular blogger and podcast host Ruth Soukup will help you to identify your own unique Fear Archetype™ – the specific type of fear that keeps you stuck – and learn how to conquer it. Dare to start thinking bigger about your life and your goals.
Learn how to seek out honest feedback to accomplish big things. Embrace the core beliefs you need to overcome different types of fears. Discover why our magical idea of ‘balance’ is totally overrated and let go of the guilt, once and for all. Equal parts inspiration and tough love, Do It Scared combines easy-to-implement tips with the motivation to start making real changes that lead to big results. Get ready to get off the sidelines and jump into your own life as you dare to Do It Scared.
Fearless [large print] : imagine your life without fear / Max Lucado
Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.
They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word “terror.” Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn’t it be great to walk out?
Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.
Can you imagine your life without fear?
While it’s easy to believe that the main barriers to being more productive, generating and developing ideas, and doing our best work are external (how many times have you vented to a coworker about “hitting a wall?”), the truth is that these frustrating blocks are most often in our own heads. What is the entity responsible for this? The Inner Critic.
The Inner Critic is relentless, driving us toward perfectionism and fanning the flames of self doubt, self-sabotage, and self criticism while dousing the sparks of creative ideas before they have a chance to develop. It encourages rationalization to help us feel better about snuffing out these sparks and keeps us believing that it’s saving us from rejection, judgment, and failure. Worst of all, it makes us think all of this is our own idea.
How do we break free of something that feels like it’s a natural part of who we are?
Denise Jacobs, Speaker, Author and Chief Creativity Evangelist of The Creative Dose, who speaks at web conferences and consults with tech companies worldwide, maps a way out in her latest work, Banish Your Inner Critic. This book is your manual and toolkit to help you not only reclaim your creativity and productivity, but bump it up to extreme productivity, clearing a path for you to find your zone more often – and stay in it longer.
The big leap : conquer your hidden fear and take life to the next level [electronic resource] / Gay Hendricks
Most of us believe that we will finally feel satisfied and content with our lives when we get the good news we have been waiting for, find a healthy relationship, or achieve one of our personal goals. However, this rarely happens. Good fortune is often followed by negative emotions that overtake us and result in destructive behaviors. “I don’t deserve this,” “this is too good to be true,” or any number of harmful thought patterns prevent us from experiencing the joy and satisfaction we have earned. Sound familiar? This is what New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks calls the Upper Limit Problem, a negative emotional reaction that occurs when anything positive enters our lives. The Upper Limit Problem not only prevents happiness, but it actually stops us from achieving our goals. It is the ultimate life roadblock.
In The Big Leap, Hendricks reveals a simple yet comprehensive program for overcoming this barrier to happiness and fulfillment, presented in a way that engages both the mind and heart. Working closely with more than one thousand extraordinary achievers in business and the arts—from rock stars to Fortune 500 executives—whose stories are featured in these pages, the book describes the four hidden fears that are at the root of the Upper Limit Problem.
The Big Leap delivers a proven method for first identifying which of these four fears prevents us from reaching our personal upper limit, and then breaking through that limitation to achieve what Hendricks refers to as our Zone of Genius. Hendricks provides a clear path for achieving our true potential and attaining not only financial success but also success in love and life.
The universe has your back : transform fear to faith / Gabrielle Bernstein
In her latest book, The Universe Has Your Back , New York Times best-selling author Gabrielle Bernstein teaches readers how to transform their fear into faith in order to live a divinely guided life. Each story and lesson in the book guides readers to release the blocks to what they most long for: happiness, security and clear direction. The lessons help readers relinquish the need to control so they can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom. Readers will learn to stop chasing life and truly live.
Making the shift from fear to faith will give readers a sense of power in a world that all too often makes them feel utterly powerless. When the tragedies of the world seem overwhelming, this book will help guide them back to their true power.
The power of NOW : a guide to spiritual enlightenment / Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle’s message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle’s clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who’s ever wondered what exactly “living in the now” means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container–more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.