Imagine you could erase your bad memories. To what lengths would you go to erase them? I recently read a newspaper article about a new drug in development (propanolol) that could do just that. Wow! I can see where this may be useful, such as severe traumatic events, but what about every day problems? What if this drug were eventually made available to the mainstream public?
I wonder what the side effects of this drug would be to a person who has not had a traumatic event. More than the physical side effects, would it be help a person have a greater ability to handle other situations?
Our fight or flight response is an in-born response that helps us when we are faced with a potentially dangerous situation. But what if the event is just plain old frightening…….like public speaking? Most people would rather die than get up in front of a room full of people and make a speech. By repeatedly experiencing the fear of public speaking, then thoughtfully reflecting on the experience, a person could eventually become very skilled at it and maybe even enjoy it. Why?
Taking a potentially fearful situation and getting through it eventually teaches the mind that it’s ok. Trust develops and a person’s comfort zone expands. This once fearful situation could help this person to handle this and other similarly fearful situations in the future.
What things have you experienced that you were once fearful of that you have now learned to handle? How have those events helped you handle other events in your life? What future situations are you fearful of facing? How can your past experiences help you in this upcoming situation? Jot down your thoughts or discuss it with someone.
Copyright 2008 Doreen Amatelli. All Rights Reserved
Doreen holds an MBA and has spent over 18 years working at major corporations and small businesses in finance and marketing. As a certified professional development coach at Way to Goal! www.waytogoal.com Doreen specializes in helping committed professionals find careers that are both personally and financially rewarding.