Remain Persistent Despite Your Fear

Fear is a natural emotion that can keep you safe and help you survive in the world. But it can also be a powerful obstacle to achieving your goals and dreams. Fear can cloud your focus, sapping your energy and making you give up. But if you want to bring your goals and dreams to fruition, you must remain persistent despite your fear.

When I worked at a Wellness Corporation, we were informed that the company had a change of policy so all exercise physiologists would have to become certified with a certain health organization. This made me nervous because the University I attended taught me in the competencies of the rival health organization of the one I would now have to be certified. The policy change made sense because I was the only Exercise Physiologist who was not taught in this health organization competencies. My colleagues passed this organization's certification exam with ease so I figured if I took a month to study I could do the same. I was wrong!

The first time I took the exam, I got way below 50%. The information on the exam was so detailed to the point I would have to memorize each part of the human body as well as numerous equations. What also sucked besides not passing the exam is it cost me $350 and in order to retake it, I would have to pay $180! I studied for another month, took the test again, and failed. I did the same thing for the next 3 months.

After failing the test my 5th time, my manager called me into her office and said "Gene, we need you to pass this exam next time or you will demoted from your position, which means your salary will be cut in half or non-existent if we can't give you a entry level job." This caused fear to move down my spine like water rushing down a slide at a water park.

When I got home that night, I started polishing up my resume because I didn't think I could pass that test. I got to work the next day and I saw one of my executives and I approached her to see if I could get an extension on my test or be able to keep my job getting a certification under the competencies I'm familiar with. "Ms. Pam, how are you doing?" "I'm great Gene, and you?" "I'm good. I have a question." "What can I help you with Gene" "I was wondering..." I stopped in mid sentence as I was looking into her blue eyes and I thought to myself, "Gene, you are not a quitter. Don't ask her to give you an extension on the test or to do another test because it will be obvious to her you have thrown in the towel. Persist despite your fear. Take the test again and whatever happens happens." "What do you need Gene?" "Nothing. Have a great day." She looked puzzled then said "You too Gene."

I went to my managers office and said "I'm scheduling my 6th attempt at this test at the end of the month." "Great Gene, but if you don't pass this time. You may not have a job." When I got off work, I headed straight to the library to study. While I was in there, I read a section in a book called "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill and it mentioned a technique called "Autosuggestion" which basically means training your subconscious mind for the outcome you want through your self-talk.

This technique fascinated me. I LOVED the thought of training my mind to help me pass my test, instead of helping me fail as I had been doing those previous attempts. You see, I took those test thinking that I would fail. Not once did I take it with a positive mindset.

This time would be different. In addition to my studies, I added "Auto-Suggestion" sessions by saying to myself 20 times in the morning when I woke up "I will pass my Exercise Physiology exam" and I would say it right before I went to bed. Throughout the day I would visualize myself passing the exam and walking into my managers office with my passing certificate. I did this everyday till the day of my test.

On my test day, I walked into the testing facility with a positive mindset. The fear that I could fail was still there but my confidence overshadowed my fear. As I was answering the questions, I felt a sense of peace I had not felt in my previous attempts. When the screen said "You have answered all questions, click the enter button to get your score." I sat there in silence because I knew that the push of that button would determine if I still had a job or not. I closed my eyes and said one more time "I will pass my Exercise Physiology exam", I pushed the enter button and the screen said "Congratulations! You are now a Certified Exercise Physiologist!"

The sight of that screen took a huge burden off my shoulders. I was filled with a joy even though it cost me almost $1,300 to pass a $350 test. I got up feeling proud, not because I passed the test; but because I remained persistent despite my fear.

If you want to achieve your goals and dreams, you must remain persistent in the face of fear. You can do this by:

1. Training your subconscious mind for success with Autosuggestion

2. Doing the work required to realize your goals and dreams

3. Visualizing yourself being successful so that negative images of you failing won't dominate your mind

So remember: The goals and dreams you desire are on the other side of your fear. So remain persistent despite your fear because YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE GREAT!!

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