Fear is one of the most basic human emotions and it has been with us from inception.
It has proven to serve as a major mechanism for survival; A trigger to our brain’s flight or fight response.
It is such a double edged sword. You need some fear to keep you on track but too much of it may paralyze you.
Yes, it could be for or against us when precipitated by external factors but what about the fear we create in our own minds?
Everyone has thought about worse case scenarios once in a while and for those with an overzealous imagination may have even lived those imaginations out.
You may have even doubted your abilities or talked yourself out of pursuing an opportunity because you were afraid you would fail.
It is these self-defeating thoughts that continue to hold us back from taking calculated risks or stepping out of our comfort zones.
Our irrational fears keep us trapped in mediocrity.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
The first step is recognition.
Most medical students go through the College of Medicine never realizing how their fears, anxieties and inclination to negative self-talk hold them back.
They chalk it up into…”What will be, will be” or worse.
They are unaware of the consequences of this kind of negativity.
One is least likely to do something about an issue to which they lack insight so, awareness is the key!
Once you can start to notice your thoughts and accept they may be a barrier, only then can you begin to address them.
What if you replace old, negative self-defeating thoughts with new, positive, self-affirming thoughts?
Instead of these:
“Oh! I cannot understand Metabolism in Biochemistry. There are too many pathways to memorize”
“What’s the difference between Glycogenolysis and Gluconeogenesis?”
“What’s all this abstract medical lingo?”
Try this:
“How can I understand these metabolic pathways?”
“Maybe I can attend more tutorials or listen to audiovisual lectures!”
The difference here is “I cannot understand”
With this negative proclamation, any idea or solution to learn is shut out completely.
This is so different with “How can I…?”
With such positive words, solutions spring up.
The process is accessed again. Better ideas emerge to aid you build productive systems that ultimately solve problems.
At the end of the day, it is about overcoming the fears that hold you back and hinder you from becoming the best version of yourself.
You can be better!
You will be better!
Let go of the belief that you cannot make a choice to achieve anything until you know the outcome. Your thoughts birth words and these words become actions.
The fear of the unknown spurs many medical students into action, into investing a great deal of time studying and learning.
Fear is as productive as it can be paralyzing.
It ensures we keep making efforts, building a system of processes that will lead to our desired goal.
Say “Anything is possible” instead of “This is not possible”
Let go of the cloud of pessimism and the spirit of mediocrity and embrace the trigger that explodes you into action for both are a function of fear.
One of the greatest discoveries a person makes, one of their greatest surprises is to find they can do that which they previously thought that they couldn’t.
Wouldn’t you like to know how limitless your potential is?
I know I would.
CHISOM HECTOR EZE
