NOTE: this is a guest post from Mary DeRosa Hughes of the Grateful Scribe
A few weeks ago, my best friend and fellow writer Kelly called me up on the verge of a panic attack. She was swamped with projects, when one of her clients came to her with an assignment she had no time for: writing employee profiles for a group of highly successful metropolitan realtors. Never one to disappoint a customer, she asked if I could pinch-hit for her.
I had room in my work schedule, so I accepted the assignment. After her breathing returned to normal, she gave me the details.
“They need a full page bio for each realtor. Twenty five of them. In five days.”
So it’s a tight timeline.
“And you also have to interview everyone. ”
Now it’s a really tight timeline.
Then she hit me with the final piece: “Just a heads up: they’re insanely busy people. If you get five minutes of their time, that’d be a serious miracle. As in turning-water-into-wine kind of miracle.”
Uh oh.
Kelly was relieved, but my anxiety-fueled monkey mind was off to the races.
I have to track down twenty five real estate agents who barely have time to breathe, let alone talk to me. And if they do give me five minutes of their time, they’ll probably be hostile because they could have used those precious minutes to sell sixteen condo units. I’ll never get anything good from them, so the profiles will be horrible. Why did I say I would do this?
But then the chatter stopped. And I shifted from questioning my sanity to questioning my lack of faith, in myself and in the Universe.
I have been writing professionally for almost 20 years. I believe infinite wisdom is at work in everything. The Universe sent me this assignment for a reason.
So why do I think I can’t handle this? I have to embrace it and trust the process. Believing fully that everything will work out.
After pondering that for a moment, I logged into my email, pulled up the contact numbers for every agent and started dialing.
My initial call was simply to set a time for us to chat. But surprisingly, quite a few of them agreed to let me interview them right on the spot, and they offered up some great info. Many of them even spent well over the coveted five minutes with me.
Several days later, I turned in the project, feeling not only relief, but a renewed sense of confidence, in both myself and the Universe.
Learning to trust the process is great for everything from supporting your work in the world to your mental and physical health. But what exactly can you do to snap into “trust autopilot” when faced with scenarios that are unfamiliar, nerve wracking or downright scary?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Inventory Your “Work Outs” (and I don’t mean time at the gym) – How many times have things you initially doubted and stressed over actually worked out? Probably more often than not, right?
Keep a list of all the successes you’ve had when you just relaxed, took action and let the Universe orchestrate the “How.” When you feel like your sense of trust is headed for the exit, grab that list and read it.
Stop Fearing The Fear – As long as you are learning, growing and trying new things, you will encounter at least some level of fear at the outset of whatever you’re doing.
And contrary to what your churning stomach and racing heart may seem to indicate, you’re not going to die. Honestly.
You are actually becoming more alive by facing – and conquering – these uncomfortable feelings.
Curtail the “Cursed Hows” – You’ve set your intention. You’ve put positive energy around the situation. You believe that the Universe will deliver an awesome end result.
But…you can’t stop thinking of how it will all come together. Which people will or won’t cooperate? Where will the money come from? Is this going to take a week? A month? Forever?
When you catch yourself running this tape-loop in your head, stop.
Then remind yourself that you’re dealing with a powerful, loving, unlimited creative force with riches and resources far beyond what you can imagine. And all of them will be at your disposal the moment you choose to trust the process.
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What steps can you take to learn to trust the process in your own life?
About the Author:
About the Author: Mary DeRosa Hughes is a freelance writer and blogger based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has been writing professionally for over 18 years, with experience ranging from corporate video scripts and motion picture screenplays to marketing copy and website content. Her short film Anniversary was an Official Selection of the 2013 Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, U.K. She is also working on the rewrite of her first fiction novel, and is excited to be releasing her second short film Waiting For Goodbye in the summer of 2016.
Thank you for this lovely article. Two things spring to mind upon reading it: that you will fail at 100% of the projects that you abandon due to fear of failure, and you possess the power of creation within you. By trying, you are creating a new reality, one in which your success is not only possible, but much more probable.
So glad you enjoyed the article, Michel! I love what you said about when you try something, you are “creating a new reality” that will foster success. I have spent a lot of time in the past refusing to try new things out of fear…which created nothing but stagnation. Thanks for reminding me that our thoughts do truly create our existence…good or bad! : )
Mary, such a timely article. Thank you. “Stop fearing the fear” jumped out at me. All endeavors have an element of fear at one time or another. We take on big challenges because of the stakes (fear). And as for “fear of failure. . .” well, a lot of my successes have been built on the back of failure. Your reminder of a “powerful, loving, unlimited creative force” is the place I turn to in my process. Light a candle and say a grace.
Hi Stephanie! You’re so right about every endeavor (especially the ones we want to succeed at the most) coming with the baggage of fear. But if we don’t power through that, then nothing ever happens. Not even the failures that (like you said) can serve as a springboard for successful ventures. And I’m going to take up your practice of lighting a candle and saying a grace. What a great way to connect with the loving spirit that I believe guides our creativity! : )
I’m committed to stop fearing the fear. Life is short but I still get scared of new stuff. I’m starting to believe new things are experiments and if they don’t work out it’s simply time for another experiment. Thanks for writing this solid piece!
David, I will join you in your commitment to “stop fearing the fear.” : ) Since I was a kid, I have always battled the initial urge to run from anything unfamiliar. I’ve made great strides, but the trepidation is always lurking, waiting to come flying out at me. I love your idea that new things are just “experiments” that may or may not work. And if not, on to the next one. Really puts a much more lighthearted spin on things!