I feel like a fraud. All this time I have been telling you about the Four Fears® and I've been keeping their evil twin brother a secret...
Or have I?
If you are wondering whether there are more than just four key and common hesitations, then I am about to allay your curiosity. Here is the insight to the secret fifth fear I don't talk about...
No, there isn't a fifth fear. And here's how I can prove it.
The science of colour
If you are creative and enjoy playing with design programmes such as Canva or Creative Cloud, your mind (much like mine) may still be astounded at how every colour you can think of is derived from just three primaries - red, yellow and blue.
Whatever hue or tone, it stems from those three palettes.
The same is true of The Fears. Whatever name or label you give to a wobble, they each derive from four core hesitations:
"I'm not ready"
"I'm not good enough"
"I don't have enough time"
"What if I fail?"
Any variation still leads back to these primaries.
Take the most common suggestion I hear for a fifth fear: The fear of not making enough money
The secret fifth fear I don't talk about
Firstly, let me ask the question: “What does enough money look like to you?”
As you ponder that one, I’ll cheekily cut across your answer by asking you what you REALLY want from your business (and why that is important to you). My guess is that your version of Victory will involve people, places, memories, and experiences.
Even if you were to say that your Big Business Wish is to have a certain number of zeros at the end of your bank balance, I presume it’s what you intend to do with that money (rather than the money itself) that’s motivating you to act – is that fair?
Have you ever noticed that (on UK bank notes at least) it reads “I promise to pay the bearer…”, which essentially means that physical cash has no purpose until it’s exchanged for something of tangible value?
Money is a facilitator
It’s the mechanism through which your Big Business Wish manifests. This brings us full circle to the fourth and biggest Fear. Failure.
Enough money = the opportunity to be with the people, go to the places, create the memories, and experience the moments that define Victory for you
Therefore, enough money = success
Not enough money robs you of success (your inner critic would argue)
The Fear of not making enough money = a fear of failure
But guess what?
It’s never really about the money.
We use money as a quantifiable stick to measure our successes, but once we’re connected to our heartfelt Big Business Wish – our entirely unique, personal, emotional ‘True North’ – we begin to apply increments of success that are far more aligned and meaningful to our dreams than “I promise to pay the bearer…”.
And, as I keep saying, success and failure are entirely subjective. As is enough money.
Let's agree then – Four Fears® is quite enough.
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