Underneath all FEAR is an internal warning system that says, I am not safe. Fear is primal - built into the very fabric of your body’s central nervous system. It’s nature’s way of keeping you out of harm’s way. So if you feel afraid of being in the spotlight on a Zoom call, afraid to speak your truth to your boss, afraid to reveal yourself in a job interview… know that there is nothing actually wrong with you. The problem is this.
Sometime in your past, your body set up a fear mechanism – and similar to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) – something freaked you out that is no longer actually present. But your nervous system remembers, and periodically behaves as if that past experience is literally happening again right now.
When you are reminded of that scary event, consciously or unconsciously, fear kicks in and says, Forget Everything and Run. I’ve been studying this phenomenon for more than a decade with my students who were aching to become confident public speakers.
The forgetfulness, the pounding heart, sweating, shaking, feeling flush, wanting to run. Urg! Can you relate? Your body is right on target, trying to protect you, yelling at you through these horribly uncomfortable sensations: "It's Not Safe Here. Forget Everything and Run!"
It’s brilliant really, a built-in safety mechanism to keep you from having to experience the pain you once felt, typically linked to something from early childhood that you may not even remember.
So now what?
Option number two: Face Everything and Rise.
By artfully uncovering what’s at the root of the urge to throw in the towel and run, there are ways to calm your body’s nervous system and step forward with ease and confidence. But you can’t just "will" it to be so, change it by reading a book or simply acting as if…
Your body is far more masterful than this in its quest to keep you safe.
The only way I've ever seen that makes a permanent shift with these kinds of patterns is the CORE Repatterning technique.
CORE Repatterning™ is a proven effective technique to locate the trigger, clear it, and actually reprogram your nervous system so it no longer has a gripping hold on your sense of self or your ability to speak with confidence, authenticity, and enthusiasm.
Let's try CORE Repatterning together!
Think about something that is upsetting to you like a conversation that went south, a failed attempt at getting your point across, blanking out during a big presentation, or being too scared to ask for that raise you deserve.
1. Close your eyes, relive the experience, and notice where you are on the scale of 0 to -10. 0 is neutral and -10 is maximum charge.
2. While reliving it, notice where you feel a sensation in your body.
Keep your focus there and don't try to change it. This is your "pain body" which is
triggering you and attempting to keep you safe, but instead, it's only creating stress and upset.
3. While focusing on the sensation in your body say this:
"Thank you for protecting me.
You've done a great job.
I'll be safe without you.
Please go.
Thank you."
4. Now, while keeping your focus on the sensation in your body, say some short statements THREE times until the intensity begins to dissolve. Statements like "I'm angry, I feel so dumb, I went completely blank, I can't believe you did that, I feel so inferior, What's wrong with me, What's wrong with him/her? I'm sad, I'm disappointed."
5. Keep speaking your negative emotions or frustrations out loud three times each until you feel lighter. Then say "This is no longer a part of my identity," three times.
6. Now staying focused on the sensation, say positive statements three times like: "I'm safe, I'm meant to be in the spotlight, I am smart, I am good enough, I believe in myself, I give myself permission to release this."
7. Take three long, slow deep breaths and allow the sensation and emotion to release.
8. Relive the experience again in your mind's eye and notice where you are on the scale of 0 to -10, then repeat the process until you are completely neutral.
My experience with thousands of people has revealed that fear patterns can only be neutralized when they are seen, witnessed, and given full expression. I have dedicated my entire career as a public speaking coach to this one thing - helping people get to the root cause of their fear by identifying the unfortunate painful or traumatic events lodged in their subconscious mind.
It's because these painful events are deeply embedded in the nervous system and will continue to severely limit freedom of expression and one's sense of self until the roots of the pattern are identified and neutralized.
CORE Repatterning™ is easier and faster with a trained facilitator, but with focus, you can do it yourself.
Now that you understand how it works, are you ready to get to the CORE and finally "Face Everything and Rise?"
It's easier than you think. Promise.
Try the protocol above for yourself.
I'd love to hear how it works for you!
You can find out how many others have cleared the most traumatic events of their past by following this link.
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