New Year Fear: An Ice Storm Hits

     As much excitement as a New Year can offer, it can also produce fear. Will this year be any different? Will anything in my life change? Those thoughts can lead to self-doubt and stress. I feel that this year more so than many years looking at fear is important. Right now in the United States, stress is reported at alarming numbers. With that in mind, looking at New Year’s fear is an issue we have to address. Reality is reality and we cannot run away and simply say, “Have a positive attitude and all will be fine.” It doesn’t work that way.  Life is not just about what you project, but it is also about what you do.

    Having a positive attitude when you are driving your car and hit an ice patch will not maneuver you through it. When things seem out of control, having a positive outlook that you can do something does give you the momentum to get into action to steer your car through the ice patch. While you are on the ice, you are still fearful.

     So why do I call it New Year fear?

     In many ways, we feel that we are in an ice storm on an ice patch this year, sliding out of control and not knowing where we will end up. Are we going to crash? This is a year that we feel so uncertain, and that is a global condition. Where do fear, anxiety and stress come from?  I describe one of the origins of fear, anxiety and stress as the result when an individual feels a lack of control over his or her destiny.  Simply put, when you do not know what is going to happen, and you think what can or will happen will be bad, you get fearful, producing anxiety and stress. 

     When you are driving in normal conditions, you feel in control of your car. You are not driving with fear, and you are not experiencing high anxiety and stress. Hit an ice storm and everything changes. We have been driving along feeling good and now our global economic condition is a giant ice storm we have hit. All of a sudden, our car is sliding and we do not know where we are going to end up. We do not feel like we are in control. Retail bankruptcies, massive layoffs, foreclosures, the auto industry and more. What is going to happen?

     Trust me, having a positive attitude will not make it go away. However, having a positive outlook makes a huge difference. You have to believe that what you do makes a difference, and that what you do can contribute to a positive outcome. The difference in that attitude is the difference in you taking action, or not. When you do not believe you can do anything, when you hit the ice driving, you clinch the wheel tight, slam on the breaks and scream. The car then slides and ends up where ever it ends up.

     When you believe what you do makes a difference you think about which way you can try and steer, and that maybe no brakes or even a little gas may maneuver you differently. You still may crash, but you might hit the side of your car instead of crash head on. What you do does make a difference, and what you do can and will change the outcome.

     So loosen up your grip, don’t slam on the brakes and stop screaming. Let’s look at how we can steer, if we need to pump the brakes, hit a little gas and what way we can maneuver our lives to create the best outcome. Don’t let the fear take over, have a positive outlook and believe that what you do will make a difference. Then let’s get into action and do the best we can. Together we will get through this ice storm, back onto dry, clear, safer roads again.

     To help you with your drive, we will continue to provide navigational aid right here at Toolstolife.com.

Your driving partner…

Devlyn Steele