what a lovely picture huh?
how does it make you feel? do you like needles?
I hate needles... well I use to.
I remember always going to the doctor's office and coming so close to fainting after every time I got a shot, it was ridiculous.
I didn't like the look of needles, I didn't like waiting for them, I didn't like anything about the whole process.
What bothered me the most though is I would see some people go in get a shot and come out like it was no big deal.
I wanted to be like that.
Recently I have had to get 3 shots (twinrex) over the past month, so I thought this is a perfect time to make a change.
I learned this much about fear:
If you keep fearing something and trying to avoid it
NOTHING WILL CHANGE
you will just keep conditioning yourself to avoid the thing or the situation and your body will respond accordingly by sending out all sorts of nervous and anxiety like signals.
I Learned with fear that it is probably one of the biggest things that holds us back. And most of it is caused by ourselves. Its your mental approach to the situation.
If you walk into the doctors office thinking or saying to yourself,
I hate needles, im probably going to get really weak after getting this shot, guess what?
that's what's going to happen!
soooooo.
Instead of doing what I have been doing for the past 24 years of of my life I thought why not take a different approach and see what happens?
I have nothing to lose?!
So this is the approach I have taken with the doctors office over the past month, and this approach can be applied to ANYTHING you fear.
I switched what I was telling myself:
instead of saying, "uhhh, I hate needles, I can't wait for this to be over, why do I even need to get this.. etc."
I took the complete opposite approach and then completely exaggerated it.
"I can't wait to get to the doctors office, I love this stuff, this is going to be so much fun, this is going to protect me from a bunch of diseases and make me stronger, make my immune system better, allow me to have a safe trip south, this is unreal freaking real!"
It was quite funny actually.. I started telling myself this about an hour before I went to the doctors and then kept it up for about an hour after I got my needle. I even called a few friends during that time and told them what I was doing that morning and how excited I was to be going to the doctors office and getting a shot!!
When my time came to go into the little doctors room I didn't slow down I jumped right into it, I pulled up my shirt and was like hit me up in this arm, let's get right to it!
I did this because I didn't want there to be ANY delay... why?
because I knew if I gave my mind time to think about what was going on those old feelings would probably creep back in and I would start to fear what was about to happen.
so whatever, jump right in!
I got the shot and then disciplined my mind to NOT THINK ABOUT IT. I said thanks and was on my way.
I kept telling myself how amazing it was, and how great I felt after the shot.
why?
because If i didn't those same feelings I had before would no doubt pop back in my mind. My mind would be trying to convince me that hey james, you just got a needle you are suppose to be feeling weak right now, and get really tired, like you usually do...?
I Didn't let that happen,
and before I knew it I was doing something else that day and forgot all about what happened.
I practiced this two other times over the last month and now its great, It doesn't bother me at all to get needles. talk about it, see it. whatever.
strangely enough, I even get a little excited :)
what is something you FEAR in your life?
something that might be holding you back or preventing you from doing something you really want?
we ALL have things we fear don't we?
take some time and think about your approach. Is it the actual thing or situation you fear or just what you are building it up to in your own mind?
and remember:
summer is almost here!
MEL
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