Quite a few years ago, I was enjoying an afternoon in the park with a couple of friends of mine. One of my friends had brought her dog, and as we were playing Frisbee, another dog came out of nowhere and started viciously attacking my friend's dog. One of my friends, Mark, reacted instantly, running to the dogs and managing to beat off the attacking dog and causing it to run away.
What did I do during that momentary instant of chaos? I froze. I stood there. I just stood there, watching the whole thing. Even now, even though it was a minor incident taking place 10 years ago, I still look back at that moment with shame. I resolved that I would never let fear keep me from taking action when action was needed. With a few exceptions (of course), I like to think that I've been able to live up to this resolution.
I think this lesson has an important parallel in business and marketing. One of the factors that keeps a lot of people from succeeding is the fact that we are usually afraid to push our limits. That means we end up taking the safe route and never understanding what we are truly capable of.
Take, for instance, starting a home business. Most people have dreamed of owning their own business, or at least supplementing their income with a side venture. However, 99% of those people don't take the risk to actually take the first step. They are afraid that they will lose money, or that they will fail, or that they will just look silly.
Well, first off, there are ways of beginning a business with very little money, especially if you don't mind starting off small. As for the fear of failing, so what? Failing is not something that you should be ashamed of -- instead, you should be proud that you had the courage to try. The same goes for "looking silly" -- who is sillier, the person who tries something innovative and creative, or the person who sits back and does nothing? I know what my answer is to THAT question.
I'm not trying to be a Tony Robbins here and say that you can achieve anything you want just by visualizing it -- all I'm saying is that NO ONE should be afraid to try to achieve their dreams. I'm not advocating quitting your job and sinking all your savings into junk bonds -- but don't let fear keep you from exploring all your avenues. Sure, you may have some regrets, but then again, you may end up praising the day that you decided to act. If you just sit back and do nothing, it is much more likely that you will have regrets later in your life.
Ron Sathoff is a noted speaker and manager of DrNunley's http://InternetWriters.com He provides copy-writing, marketing, Internet promotion, and help for business speakers. Reach him at ron@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.
