{"id":12114,"date":"2012-12-26T23:05:06","date_gmt":"2012-12-27T07:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=12114"},"modified":"2013-09-23T13:45:08","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T21:45:08","slug":"how-to-stop-fearing-big-changes-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-fearing-big-changes-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Fearing Big Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/a><\/p>\n

Transitions aren\u2019t always easy.\u00a0 But everyone has to face them at one time or another.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gone through a lot of big changes in my life.\u00a0 Some were bad, some were good.\u00a0 Each time I faced that point of transition when things started to change, I would take a step back, pause for a moment and remind myself that there would be something good waiting for me on the other side of the transition.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that thought of something good waiting for me on the other side that helps so much.\u00a0 That reminder that things will be better makes the big change more palatable.<\/p>\n

Something I\u2019ve learned is that the change or transition itself isn\u2019t very frightening.\u00a0 What\u2019s scary is the thought of ending up in a miserable place by the time you get through it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The thought of ending up somewhere terrible used to prevent me from making necessary and useful changes.\u00a0 For instance, over ten years ago I decided to move almost 300 miles away from the city I grew up in to a major metropolis.\u00a0 It was a decision I\u2019d contemplated for years, but I never had found the courage to do it.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t afraid of the change.\u00a0 In fact, it was the opposite. I wanted to go through this transition to make the change happen.<\/p>\n

What scared me was the thought of all these terrible things happening to me once I had made the transition.\u00a0 I was afraid I would spend all this money moving only to end up jobless and alone in a big city.\u00a0 What if it turned out to be a huge mistake in the end?<\/p>\n

Of course, that never happened.<\/p>\n

My worst fears never came true.\u00a0 By the time I had reached the other side of the transition, I had gained more than I even expected.\u00a0 Not only did I find a job and make a lot of new friends, but also met a woman who I would eventually go on to marry.<\/p>\n

The experience of moving to a big city changed how I see transitions and life changes.<\/p>\n

No longer do I fear a transition because of what I imagine might be waiting for me on the other side.\u00a0 I don\u2019t worry about all the bad things that could happen to me.\u00a0\u00a0 There are no worst-case scenarios playing out on in my head.<\/p>\n

Now I prefer to think of things in terms of best-case scenarios.\u00a0 What will be the best possible outcome waiting for me on the other side of this life change?\u00a0 It\u2019s helped build a lot of faith in my decisions for change.<\/p>\n

I find that there are three things that really help me build this faith in the other side of big changes:<\/p>\n

Trust in yourself and your abilities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All changes require good decision-making.\u00a0 You need to trust that you know the best decisions for your life and that the choices you make will be the correct ones.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s quitting your job to find something better or moving to another country, you\u2019re going to face a lot of new challenges and obstacles.<\/p>\n

Most people underestimate their ability to successfully make it through a hard transition.\u00a0 But often you have more skills and abilities than you realize.<\/p>\n

The worst-case scenario won\u2019t happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right before you decide to take a chance, embrace that change and make a bold step towards something you want, a nasty thought will pop into your head.\u00a0 It\u2019s the shrill lingering thought that something absolutely horrible will happen if you do it.<\/p>\n

These are the worst-case scenarios.\u00a0 You tell yourself, \u201cif I quit my job, I\u2019ll end up penniless and homeless.\u201d\u00a0 Or you think, \u201cTraveling will only get me kidnapped or murdered.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some reason, these thoughts are easy to think.\u00a0 What\u2019s harder is imagining the other side of the transition as something good.\u00a0 The other side can be an opportunity for growth and your ticket to a better life.<\/p>\n

Worst-case scenarios happen so rarely that you might as well be afraid of being struck by lightning.\u00a0 Thinking of all the bad things waiting for you will only prevent you from taking necessary actions to change your life.<\/p>\n

Above all: remain optimistic.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like I said earlier, thinking that the other side will be worse is often a greater fear than the actual change itself.\u00a0 So remaining optimistic about your transition is necessary to make sure that fear doesn\u2019t creep inside your head.<\/p>\n

Depending on how long your transition takes, it could be a while before you see the end.\u00a0 You need to keep believing things will be okay.\u00a0 Your optimism will keep you working towards the other side.<\/p>\n

The minute you turn pessimistic, you start to expect things to go badly.\u00a0 And once you expect things to go badly, they often will.<\/p>\n

Make your change happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I continue on through my life, I expect to continue making more and more decisions about where I want things to go.\u00a0 That will mean a lot more transitions and changes to come.\u00a0 But now I have faith that the other side of those transitions and changes will be positive and fulfilling.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t be scared of making a big change simply because you\u2019re afraid things will turn out badly for you.\u00a0 Have faith that things will be good in the end.\u00a0 It\u2019s surprising how often they work out for the best.<\/p>\n

Steve is the writer behind Do Something Cool<\/a> where he blogs about travel, motivation, self-improvement and adventure.\u00a0 He’s always looking for ways to make life more interesting.\u00a0 Get tips on living life to the fullest by following him on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Transitions aren\u2019t always easy. But everyone has to face them at one time or another.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gone through a lot of big changes in my life. Some were bad, some were good. Each time I faced that point of transition when things started to change, I would take a step back, pause for a moment and remind myself that there would be something good waiting for me on the other side of the transition.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that thought of something good waiting for me on the other side that helps so much. That reminder that things will be better makes the big change more palatable.<\/p>\n

Something I\u2019ve learned is that the change or transition itself isn\u2019t very frightening. What\u2019s scary is the thought of ending up in a miserable place by the time you get through it. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":12178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[82,81,4629,2133],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Stop Fearing Big Changes - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019ve gone through a lot of big changes in my life. Some were bad, some were good. 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