Today I had an immensely challenging task ahead of me. Don't worry, it all went alright. But let me share with you the story of how I faced it.
Last night, I was feeling overwhelmed and-between you and me-really really SCARED! Yes, it had got me-that particularly formidable enemy, who I always ask you to fight with all your strength-fear of failure. Fear had literally filled my mind, so that I was unable to concentrate on my preparation for that all-important task that I was to face the next day. This was making me worry (yes, I did commit that crime!) even more-it was a vicious circle.
With my preparation going absolutely nowhere, I decided to take a break and at least try to clear my head. I went for a shower. While in the shower, I made one last attempt at making things alright.
Initially I was so desperate to make myself feel better first of all (fear is such a suffocating emotion you know!), that I simply told myself to feel better. And that was what changed it all!
It is that old principle I'm talking about-the power of positive statements. I told myself (aloud), "Yes! I can do it!" I repeated it quite a few times, and then did a kind of pep talk! Oh yes! That might sound a little funny, but that's what I had to do, and it worked like magic. Actually, it helped me, once again, to believe in myself and my abilities.
Here's a quick recipe of what I did and what you can do if you find yourself in my situation.
- Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed, tell yourself, "I can handle it.", "It's ok." , "Don't worry. It's alright.", or any other such short positive statement.
- Say them aloud, not just in your mind.
- Close your eyes.
- Breathe deeply while saying them-inhale for 10 seconds, hold your breath for 5s then exhale for 10 seconds.
- Keep repeating the statements until you've calmed yourself down.
- If you find only those few statements inadequate, add your own pep talk regarding why you should be able to handle the situation. I know at times you feel like there isn't any such reason, but don't worry, they're always there, ‘cause if you truly weren't able to handle the situation, you wouldn't have to. (I mean you're not going to have to do a sprint in the Olympics, right?) We know about those abilities of ours deep down. This time you just have to make the effort to articulate them.
Positive statements are immensely powerful, because they change the way you look at a particular situation. And that changes your approach to every task altogether. That makes all the difference in the world.
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