First a quote; “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fear.” —Les Brown
Who among us did not fear the “monsters” we were certain lived under our beds as young children? I know I did. The monsters I feared were different almost every night; some looked like alligators, some looked like bears and some looked like creatures from outer space. They all had four common denominators; they had big teeth, they were scary, they were “out to get me” as soon as my parents left the room and most importantly, they were all figments & misuses of my young imagination.
Our son also feared monsters living under his bed as a child. And somewhere as a young boy, he discovered an acrostic which he taped to the ceiling above his bed. Each night before drifting off to sleep, he repeated the following in his mind: There are no monsters under my bed, there is only:
F. – False
E. – Evidence
A. – Appearing
R. – Real
As adults, most of us still fear, and face, monsters every day. The monsters we fear no longer live under our beds, but rather in our heads. For most of us, they are just as real and just as scary. We fear failure, rejection, loneliness or, being discovered as imperfect, stupid or incompetent just to name a few.
Most of us would do well to learn from our son’s early discovery: the fears we face are often created, and exaggerated, in our own imagination. And because they feel so very real in our minds, they fill us with self-doubt and work to undermine our self-confidence. They limit our growth, our dreams and certainly our potential to lead others effectively.
Those same fears can also contribute to our relational challenges with other people. In our attempt to mask our fears from others, we appear to be self-centered, guarded, protective, untrustworthy, hypocritical and disingenuous.
Leaders are self-aware. They recognize and acknowledge the fears living below the mattress of their subconscious mind. What do the “alligators” under your bed look like? What imagined and exaggerated fears are holding you back from achieving your dreams and preventing you from being the best leader you can be?
Metaphorically, let’s shine a bright light under our beds, and beds of others. Let’s illuminate those fears and monsters for what they are, figments of our imagination. Let’s put our imaginations to use for good, powerful and positive dreams… for creating a better world for those around us.
What dream will you bring to life this week?
Be your best self this week!
Have a great week!!
Bryan Yager
208.376.1701
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
