Fear!!!

[Shyone]

If I had to come up with one word that would define my life up until this point it would be FEAR. I have literally been ruled by it. In fact, I'm often so consumed by my anxiety, I completely lose sight of reality. Routine situations such as going to school, or taking the dog for a walk can seem like insurmountable tasks.

Today, I had to do a presentation, something that is almost always painful for me. Except surprisingly, this specific presentation was practically effortless. I stood in front of the class, and for five minutes, I was on fire!! Every word just flowed out of me like water from a tap. I was in absolute shock. I, the shyest person in the entire world, actually managed to glide through a presentation and emerge on the other side scratch free I've gone over it a million times, and I still can't determine why exactly I was able to overcome my fear. I did something completely uncharacteristic of myself, and I'm itching to know how I was able to pull it off.

I'm hoping for your opinion on this subject. Why do you think I was able to forget my anxiety in those brief moments, and how do you think I can apply it in other situations? I figure that if I can beat my anxiety for five minutes, I can do it for 10 minutes, for an hour or even permanently. Thanks so much!

[pianoperformer]

Did you actually have an interest in the subject? I find that when I am talking about something I am very interested in or am enthusiastic about, I am quite comfortable.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by Shyone

If I had to come up with one word that would define my life up until this point it would be FEAR. I have literally been ruled by it. In fact, I'm often so consumed by my anxiety, I completely lose sight of reality. Routine situations such as going to school, or taking the dog for a walk can seem like insurmountable tasks.

Today, I had to do a presentation, something that is almost always painful for me. Except surprisingly, this specific presentation was practically effortless. I stood in front of the class, and for five minutes, I was on fire!! Every word just flowed out of me like water from a tap. I was in absolute shock. I, the shyest person in the entire world, actually managed to glide through a presentation and emerge on the other side scratch free I've gone over it a million times, and I still can't determine why exactly I was able to overcome my fear. I did something completely uncharacteristic of myself, and I'm itching to know how I was able to pull it off.

I'm hoping for your opinion on this subject. Why do you think I was able to forget my anxiety in those brief moments, and how do you think I can apply it in other situations? I figure that if I can beat my anxiety for five minutes, I can do it for 10 minutes, for an hour or even permanently. Thanks so much!

Maybe this experience was to show you that you are not really shy and that coming out of your shell is not that painful.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Shyone

I'm hoping for your opinion on this subject. Why do you think I was able to forget my anxiety in those brief moments, and how do you think I can apply it in other situations?

It's a state called "flow", a term coined by Professor Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi.

Essentially the challenge of doing the presentation was at just the right level for you. It demanded so much of your concentration that your brain had no spare capacity left to generate any thoughts of being nervous, shy, fearful or doubtful.

Therefore you had no nervousness, shyness, fear or doubt. You were forced to be fully in the now, and you experienced happiness.

Yes?

[aha]

I was once like you. The thought of me standing in front of the class to discuss something gives me knots in the stomach. But somehow I managed to come out of my shell because I keep on telling myself that “I can do this”.

It is indeed necessary that we focus our thoughts on what we want to achieve in life.