I came across an interview with Seth Godin, the author of Linchpin. I’ve really just come across it and so don’t have too much to say about it yet as I think it’s a longer conversation to be had and one that would make for an interesting chat on Creative Habit.
On this week’s episode of CH we talk a bit about fear and how difficult it can be to take risks when afraid of being perceived as wrong, silly, or stupid. Typically I don’t let it stop me, but I do suffer with this (along with the rest of the world). I find it so interesting I’ve started doing some research and found something brilliant that I want to pass along.
Seth Godin has a great talk about what he calls “The Lizard Brain.” The Lizard Brain is the part of the brain that takes over from the main part of the brain and offers resistance to whatever it is we’re trying to do. When the “Lizard Brain” feels like it’s going to be laughed at, mocked, perceived as dumb, it throws up roadblocks (“I don’t have time to do this now”, “I have writer’s block”, “I need to lose weight first” etc. etc.)
Seth offers that if you can’t find a way to get beyond these roadblocks, you are on track to becoming mediocre, average, and trampled on (especially in this economy). Pretty harsh. But I think he’s right on.
The good news is: once you realize that EVERYONE has this problem…and I mean EVERYONE….he says you’ve solved 80% of the problem. Your next job is not to REASON with the “Lizard Brain”, (because you can’t reason with it), but rather you SOOTHE this part of your brain, approaching it gently and give it time to come around. The more you practice this, the easier it becomes.
An example in my life would be my auditioning skills. I used to be deathly afraid of auditioning, to the point where my breath would go out the window, the nerves fluttered in my tummy and I would end up not getting the job. I wasn’t NOT going to be an actor however, it was too important to me…and so I got older, got wiser, and got OVER it and now consider auditioning to be fun (okay, not all the time…sometimes it’s just a pain…) In the process I’ve tamed the lizard.
I admit that a big part of taming the lizard had to do with having a child. My priorities shifted and I no longer mind as much if I don’t get the role. I am now able to put it in perspective, work on other ways of broadening my career and life and as a result I now I have other lizards to tame!
All fun stuff and extremely gratifying as I learn more about it. Can’t wait to talk about it more on the next podcast!
