Guest Contributor: Jonia Broderick
Have you ever been afraid? Afraid of being laughed at?
Afraid of making a fool of yourself? Afraid of rejection? Afraid of getting in
trouble? Afraid of not being good enough?
I have.
I say that, but people never believe me. They look at me and
think, “She’s so happy. She loves being around people. She has so much
confidence.” It’s that how people see you, that you can look that way –
confident and capable – but inside you’re a quivering mess, terrified of
somehow messing up.
For me, I love to perform and be in front of an audience,
but one-on-one can be frightening.
What sorts of things scare you? Are there situations that
you don’t want to go into because you’re afraid of how people will look at you
or how you will perform? Are you able to put on a good mask, even though inside
it really scares you?
I made a discovery many years ago. I call it the discovery
of wearing the badge.
When I got a job in retail I was scared. Now I was going to
have to walk up to absolute strangers and begin talking to them. To say I was
terrified would be putting it mildly. I had been made fun of by kids at school
and my siblings for my entire life. Plus, because of the situation at my home,
I felt like a massive loser. Sure, I had lots of friends, but those were
different. Now I was going to be expected to reach out in a different way and
face rejection every time.
But something funny happened on my first day on the job. I
put on my work badge. It said my name and the name of the store. All of a sudden,
I discovered that I was able to talk to literally anyone who came into the
store and into my department. As long as I wore that badge, I was brave. I met
some of the most wonderful people during the many years I worked there! I
absolutely loved many of the customers that I got to know, and they greatly
influenced the rest of my life.
Ever since that time I have looked for badges that I can
wear when I’m scared of a situation. Maybe it’s the badge of being a student or
a teacher or a good neighbor or a friend. When I worked as a writer and had to
interview people, I put on the badge of “big grownup writer.” It sounds silly,
but it worked. Whatever badge I wear I find that it helps me get through
frightening situations. It helps me find the confidence to accomplish what I
need to get done without freezing and panicking. And once I’m involved in the
situation, I totally enjoy myself.
You are good enough as you are. But sometimes we need to use
tools to help us overcome our fears. What badges can you wear to help
you when you’re afraid or anxious? I hope that you are able to not only dream big
but have the courage to do the things you dream. You can do it!
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