#fear #worry #thoughts #goals #IrrationalFear
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” said President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Or, to paraphrase a Mayo Clinic TV ad, when uncertainty hits, fear replaces thought.
Our thoughts are so cluttered with fear, worry, and stress, that we can’t focus on our goals,” writes Darius Foroux, in a Pocket Worthy article that advocates having a mantra to fight off worry.
Fear and worry are natural phenomena. Some politicians, in their messaging, use it to their advantage.
And, as Foroux writes, we spend lots of time worrying about things that will never happen.
It’s not to say we should fear nothing. But we tend to create fears and worries when bad circumstances befall us.
The best way, as Foroux points out, to combat worry is to have goals and focus on them.
That can be easier said than done, but it’s probably a good way to start to minimize fear and worries in our minds.
When someone we know or love goes on a trip, they often tell us to think good thoughts to make the trip safe and successful.
But, getting back to Foroux’s point, having a goal to focus on can often occupy our minds to the point that there is little, if any, room for worry and fear.
And, as the Mayo Clinic ad continues, answers, in the form of research, eliminate uncertainty, thereby eliminating fear and worry.
What the ad doesn’t say, but may imply, is whether those answers turn out as expected, or whether they ultimately lead to a breakthrough.
But if you focus your thoughts on your goals, you can create certainty when uncertainty tries to creep into your mind.
We all want to live a worry-free, fearless life. That may not be possible. But facing fear by focusing on goals can help mitigate it.
For example, if your goal is to be successful at your job, focus on doing what you need to do to make that happen, rather than focusing on what might happen to you if you fail.
It can be a tall ask for some people whose mind cannot help being fearful, because of a mental illness or deficiency.
Those folks may need professional help to overcome what they fear – often irrationally.
But those of sound mind can create thoughts that fill the mind so there is no room for fear or worry.
So, are you too often fearful or filled with worry? If so, what do you worry about? Is it something that may never, or is very unlikely to, happen?
What would make you so happy that you would become fearless or worry-free?
Can you acquire or achieve such happiness? What do you have to do to acquire or achieve it?
Happiness doesn’t always come quickly, naturally or promptly. It often requires us to do something that may not pay us off immediately, but will pay off over time with consistent action.
Fear and worry are much like foods for which we do not have a taste. Eating, or thinking, something more pleasant is the best solution.
Peter
Tag Archives: fear
DO SOMETHING; THERE IS MUCH IN YOUR LIFE YOU CAN CONTROL
#DoSomething #IgnoranceInAction #KnowledgeAtRest
Ignorance in action is better than knowledge at rest.
That’s the conclusion reached in the book ,”The Final Summit: A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity”, by Andy Andrews.
Andrews takes a group of historical figures and other successful people places them in a room to help figure out what the world, and individuals, need to do to improve the human condition.
After several tries and great guesses at the one thing that would be most beneficial, they finally came to the conclusion that one must do something, even if he or she doesn’t know what to do.
Careful thought is certainly not discouraged. Neither is constant learning. But thoughts and knowledge only take one so far. Not putting what one knows and thinks into action renders thoughts and knowledge moot.
Certainly, many people have been hit hard by circumstances, either as individuals or groups. Often, when they reflect upon what has happened to them, they tend to look for something, or someone, to blame for their plight.
When they do that, they either fail to see, or fear to take, the action THEY can take to eventually improve their lives.
Fear and blame waste energy that could be used to take an action that will make a difference in one’s life.
Sometimes, though, one might not know about something that they could do to change their lives. There are many such vehicles out there that may be able to do what’s needed, that not everyone may know about. If you’d like to hear about one of the best such vehicles, message me.
Sometimes, fear, or skepticism may prevent someone from checking out something that could be the game-changer they are looking for. Also, for some, if they get the opportunity to check it out, they hesitate to act out of fear, self-doubt etc.
Remember the point of Andrews’ book: do something, even if you are not sure what to do.
Remember, too, that one has nothing to lose by looking. That means, don’t assume you are not going to like something before you check it out.
We’ve all met people who say they don’t like certain foods, but have never tasted them.
Have you ever started a new job, in a new location, and are not sure you are going to cut it the first few weeks? Perhaps the routine is new. Perhaps you have to learn new skills. Perhaps something seems difficult at first, but will get easier with time.
If you have to work, you have to give it your best shot. Time can tame the untenable. Time can often turn drudgery into simplicity. It can help you learn to do things better, faster and easier. Every new situation deserves a little time.
So, it doesn’t matter that you don’t have 100 percent certainty about where you are going and what you are doing. It doesn’t matter that things seem difficult now. Don’t let the unknown keep you from taking action YOU can take to better your life.
Just when it seems the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, perhaps making hand baskets will change your life.
Peter
CONFUSION IN THE STOCK MARKET
#stockmarket
“Main Street” is dumping stocks.
Professional investors keep investing, as the market, as of June 2014, was hitting new highs. The Dow since has passed the 17,000 mark.
Adam Shell, in an article June 12, 2014 in USA Today, writes that average investors in mutual funds are getting out of the funds heavily weighted toward stocks and moving into bonds and bond funds. That obviously hasn’t stopped the stock market from hitting records.
Shell’s article theorizes that the average investor, after going through the downturn starting in 2008, believes that the stock market can’t keep going up forever. On average, Shell writes, the stock market goes through a correction every 18 months. So far, it’s been 32 months since the last correction.
Yet, professional investors pumped $5.5 billion into U.S.-based exchange-traded stock funds.
It’s true that professional investors are accustomed to the ups and downs of the market, and have plenty of money to lose. Average investors could lose everything, and are more cautious.
But perhaps it’s more than that. Average investors are probably having to dip into their nest eggs sooner than they had planned. Perhaps they’ve lost a job, and can’t find another that pays as well. Perhaps they were forced to retire early – before they could build a sufficient nest egg.
If you consider yourself an average investor, it’s certainly OK to be cautious. It’s certainly OK to take your profits if you are not comfortable with the risk. Still, it may be unwise to let fear govern your decisions.
Sure, your investment adviser may be a “professional.” But if you trust your adviser, let him or her guide you through this time. Interest rates and inflation are still low. The hyper inflation that the naysayers predicted a few years ago has not come to pass.
Make no mistake. Interest rates and inflation can’t stay this low forever. The Federal Reserve has stopped pumping as much money into the system as it has been, which may signal rising interest rates. Rising interest rates are not all bad. If you are not borrowing money, but have cash on the sidelines, rising interest rates will help you.
In short, if your trusted adviser is telling you to stay put, it’s probably OK. If he’s recommending that you move your money, he may have an inkling that something is coming, and may be exercising caution with your precious dollars.
If you are among those who is going through an economic pitfall, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau. You certainly won’t get investment advice, but you may find a great way to put more money in your pocket.
Obviously, the more money you have, the more risk you can tolerate. But try not to take what you believe is desperate action. Desperate action can just make a bad situation worse. Make sure you are making decisions rationally, rather than emotionally. Let your trusted adviser guide you.
No one wishes for another stock market crash. Still, they happen. But most advisers say that timing the market is unwise. It might be best to find investments you are comfortable with, and roll with the ups and downs. If it goes down, put more money in. If it goes up, let it keep growing. Most of all, follow your adviser’s guidance.
Investors operate on fear and greed. Make sure your fear is justified and rational. Try not to get too giddy with greed.
Peter