Janet Cohen Consulting, LLC

Archive for the ‘Courage’ Category

People fear transition, yet it’s part of every big change. We avoid the feelings that accompany it, yet part of us genuinely wants that transformation. How do you handle this dichotomy of the desire to change and the fear of it?

We live in a society that expresses itself often in terms of “either-or.” What if your life could be “either-and?”

What if you could accept that there are no easy answers to what big things are possible? What if you could simply embrace All the possibilities that lie in wait for you, rather than fight the temptations? Perhaps there are possibilities that you cannot even fathom at the moment.

“Accept” sounds easy, and yet it requires a strong commitment to being awake to What Is. That is easier said than done for a lot of people.

If you really want that change in your heart of hearts, are you willing to sit with your desire to change and your fear of it at the same time? Are you willing to be uncomfortable with your fear, look it straight in the eye, and then embrace it? Are you willing to be with the feelings and emotions that arise, along with the habitual thinking that created your fear in the first place? Are you willing to tell the truth about it?

When you embrace the fright – whether it’s the fear of change, snakes, public speaking, heights, or any other fear – when you become one with it, it loses its power. You come to know the fear as a great teacher and your courage begins to replace it.

The Cowardly Lion in the “Wizard of Oz” is a great teacher. He didn’t realize he had both fear and courage at the same time. Perhaps that “either-and” concept may have helped him on his path down the yellow brick road.

Want a tip? Try carrying both dichotomous emotions along with you as friends and teachers today. See what you notice. You may end up being even closer to the change you desired in the first place.