The Fears That Hold You Captive

Can I ask you something personal? I won't breathe a word, I promise. Are you over 50? Are you in the high tech industry? Do you hate your job?

Well, maybe not exactly hate, but just a feeling that there must be something more and that time isn't as plentiful as it used to be. A feeling that you've made it to an age milestone and you haven't the faintest idea what happened to all your dreams.

You are right. There is something more. While there are many paths to help you determine your life's purpose, you can't begin the path until you are willing to conquer two fears that keep you trapped where you are.

The first of these is the fear of being poor. Women quite frequently refer to this as "the bag lady syndrome." With men the more likely correlation is that no money equals no power. I know this fear intimately. The fear, as well as the obligation to my family, kept me in the high tech industry long past the time when I had any passion for it.

Then I was at a point when my kids were out of the house and, for the most part, on their own. There were no more excuses, so, of course, I created one. I have my dream house with a horrendous mortgage. What about you? What are your money excuses? Are they real? Are they true? What would life be like if they weren't true? What would it be like if there was an alternative that you just haven't seen yet?

I found that I could no longer work well in the high tech industry. I decided to move to a part-time position until I could determine what to do next. The Universe works in interesting ways. Seven months after deciding to ease my way out, I was laid off from the Fortune 100 company in which I worked. It was the best thing that could have happened. The decision was taken from me and now I need to find another path. The fear still lingers, but I have come to terms with "the worst thing that could happen." I could lose my house. It's happened before in my life and I have recovered from it. And the joy I have now is that my efforts in my business create revenue for me and not the upper echelon of executives.

What do you need to do so that if you were laid off tomorrow you could survive long enough to create a new, better life?

The second fear is the "what will other people think of me" fear. It is interesting to look at reactions of people when I tell them I no longer have a full time job. The people who don't like their jobs for one reason or another always have some comment to make. You know the kind, "So what's it like, not working." It's difficult to make them understand that I'm working harder than ever and enjoying it more than ever. I am integrating who I really am with the work I do, a feat I couldn't ever accomplish working in the high tech world. More often than not, I let them live with their illusions.

Ultimately, it's getting to the point that Wayne Dyer calls "being independent of the good opinions of others." People are going to think what they want. The funny thing is that they are probably thinking of themselves, not of you. As you walk further down the path of your life's purpose, the people you meet on the way will understand completely who you are without ever being told. This is bliss.n nYes, the fears are there. But they don't have to hold you captive. There is a vast land out there waiting for gifts only you can uniquely bring. Don't die with your song unsung.