How Remy got there is beyond me. But there the darned cat was, all cooped up and looking for a way out. And it struck me at once that I felt the same - boxed in and struggling to break out. What was holding me in? Fear of change, of adapting to a new way of thinking and acting, and, most of all, fear of breaking out of my comfort zone. All those great things we learned from our parents, siblings and peers can also work against us, by creating a comfort zone from which we can't break away. We're conditioned to be afraid of anything new and different and only adapt when the world arena forces us to make adjustments.
When I first started my consulting business and, more recently, my two home-based businesses in consumer services, I found that they not only required a change in my approach, but also a change in action. I've had to learn different business practices and new marketing approaches. I've basically had to change the way I think, recognize my weaknesses and fears, and work to overcome them.
It doesn't happen overnight. But you can get out of the box. Identify what you're afraid of. Then work out what you have to do to overcome your fears. And, basically, the only way is to work right through them. If your afraid of the phone, you have to get on the phone - a lot, until it becomes natural to you. If the computer looks like a time bomb to you, then get on it and keep exploring sites and applications until you feel comfortable hitting that on button. If you're afraid of people, get out and join groups that interest you.
When I was a kid in New York City, I lived near an area to which a lot of Puerto Ricans had moved. I was always told not to walk alone in those neighborhoods, to be extremely cautious if I saw large groups of them walking toward me and basically to be careful at all times. My family believed in "all men are created equal." They were simply trying to protect me from what really was a rowdy and sometimes quite dangerous neighborhood to a young girl.
What I discovered as I grew older was that I had become prejudiced against Puerto Ricans. They were 'dangerous' people, people to be avoided. I had to change that - it simply didn't fit with the ethics and concepts my parents had also taught me. But how to change it? Sitting in my room and saying 'I am NOT prejudiced' wasn't doing anything. So I volunteered to teach English as a Second Language at a local church. Amazing! My Puerto Rican students were just people
No comments:
Post a Comment