“Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12
Who here has dealt with performance anxiety before? It looks different for different people. Some folks are natural performers and the stage is their friend, only getting a few jitters before the big day. For others, it can be completely debilitating, causing sweating accelerated heart rate and even a panic attack. And then there’s everyone who falls somewhere in between. I absolutely love the stage, and I always have. Singing, dancing, spoken word, motivational speaking, workshop facilitation, you name it, I love to do it. But I have a confession. I fall in the in between, but painstakingly close to the debilitating end (thanks to my daily conquering of Anxiety). Just before a performance you might catch me pacing and reciting positive affirmations with a stress ball in my hand. Most people would never believe it unless they saw me in that near panic mode, and I’ve even been asked why I do it if it causes me so much pain. The answer to that is simple… I know it what I’m called to do.
We all have a purpose in this life and that purpose is never to just exist under a rock where no one can see us. Human beings are social creatures by nature and while you may not be called to speak to millions, thousands, or even dozens… there’s at least one other person on this planet who can be positively impacted by your presence. Now I don’t know that I’m called to impact millions or even thousands. I don’t know how many of you are out there in my reader pool but I know it’s more than my mother and my best friend, and because of that I cannot hide my light under a bushel, I have to let it shine! So how can you do that? When Anxiety starts to get the best of you and convinces you that you can’t do what you know in your heart you should be doing… how do you move past that feeling of doubt. Here’s some tips!
First, understand that Nervousness, Fear and Anxiety are NORMAL. Everyone experiences these emotions at some point in their life and many for extended periods of time. I conquer Anxiety daily and I’m as normal as the next person and so are you! If you can stop seeing Anxiety as a problem only you have and normalize the experience it loses some of its power over you and you can take back control over your life.
Then, recognize that Anxiety is just your body overcompensating for an irrational fear. And because it’s irrational it doesn’t have any place in your mind. Once you recognize that you can move into canceling out the fear or challenging it. And you can do that in a number of ways. Positive affirmations, thinking good thoughts, reminding yourself of your capabilities and strengths all help you move past fear and into action. Deep breaths and mindfulness moments will clear your mind of the troubling thoughts and make room for positive actions. If for any reason this is too hard to do on your own, seek out a mental health professional to help you learn the right skills for you to move through these tough moments.
Finally, remember your purpose and that God has given you your gifts for a reason. Also remember that He has equipped you with the tools to do the work designed for your life and will remain by your side as you set out to do the work. Think about Moses. When God gave him his mission, Moses fought it. He came up with excuse after excuse as to why he wasn’t the right person for the job. And it was less about his ability to perform them and more about how he would be received. One of the things that hinders us from performing in our roles is not the fear of how we see it but how others will see it. God provided him with miracles to perform to gain the trust and respect of the people he was going before and told him “Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12) God has given you the right tools to do what He wants you to do, and He gave them to YOU! And He doesn’t make mistakes!
So remember, Anxiety is normal, it’s just an irrational fear trying to take over (don’t let it!) and God chose you and gave you the tools you need to be you! Trust it! Walk in it! And always let your light shine! As always, I believe in you and I’m rooting for your success in your daily conquering of Anxiety!
EMBRACING EMOTION: THE BLOG 