Episode 3 Put Fear Aside For 20 Seconds

I remember when one of my 5 boys was playing baseball in high school.

He was the teammate that cheered everyone.

But the coach just rarely played him.

My son was so depressed.

I wanted to know how to help him.

Then I saw this movie I Bought a Zoo – with Matt Damon as the lead character.

The part of the movie that helped me was this side story,

Matt Damon’s goofy brother told him that when you are afraid, put that fear aside for just 20 seconds and do what you are afraid of.

Then, you can go back to being afraid.

Matt Damon took his kids to the diner where he first met their mother who had died.

He told his kids how he was just passing the diner, saw her in the window eating lunch alone, and had to meet her.

But he was scared to death.
So he goes inside, remembers what his brother had said, and stands in front of her.

For the first 10 seconds … he couldn’t say a thing.

The next 10 seconds weren’t much better, but she asked him to sit down anyway.
The rest was history.

He had failed miserably.

But because he put fear aside just for a moment … only 20 seconds .. magic was given the space to happen.

I talked to my baseball son about that story.

I suggested HE put fear aside or just 20 seconds and ask his coach one question: “What can I do to earn more playing time?”

What coach wouldn’t want to hear that!

Yet it took my son over a month to gather the courage to ask that simple question.

Fear had grabbed him, as it grabs all of us, stopping us from what we really want in life.

So what happened when my son finally found the 20 seconds of courage to ask that question?

… The coach started him the next game, and he hit TWO home runs.

A day and lesson I will never forget, nor my son.

My challenge to you this week:

Pick out whatever comes to your mind you are afraid of, and for just 20 seconds, put that fear aside and do it.

Even if you fail miserably, you opened the door to possibility.

Giving yourself the space for real magic to take place in your business and your life.

And I will talk to you at the next 2 Minute Monday Mindset.

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