Fear – is it real?

First Published 17 February 2022

Last night I attended my business book club to discuss this month’s book – Start with Why by Simon Sinek.

The host of the book club is way more organised than I am with my other club, and even sends out a template for us to review the books.

You might be wondering what this has got to do with fear…?  So, in a change from January, I did manage to finish this book in time for the meeting.  To the question of what’s your biggest takeaway, I answered “is it fear or is it a banana?” – see, I’m, getting to the point (eventually!).  Now this was in the first chapter but it stuck out for me – more so than for anyone else as they didn’t even remember it!

Under the heading of fear, the book discusses manipulation and proposes the scenario that  a person holds up a bank with a banana in their pocket.  While no one was in danger of the person actually causing harm (unless it was me 10 years ago being forced to eat the banana… so glad that allergy is gone… but I digress!), the robber would be charged with armed robbery due to the intention of causing fear and having the people in the room believe they were in real danger.  They used fear as a motivator for the bank staff to do what they are ordered to do by this person.

The reason for this story in the book was to talk about manipulation in advertising and marketing (hard sell anyone?) and explains that fear is one of the most powerful manipulations regardless of whether the fear is real or perceived.  So, flipping this from looking at marketing and advertising, I started to ponder where my own mind was manipulating me with fear.  I like to pride myself on not being doom and gloom but I was able to highlight a number of places where a perceived fear was holding me back in the past and then realised that there are a few current ones too.

The first step here – like with most things – is to realise it’s there.  Once you shine the light on what your fear is (or whatever other programme is running for you) it is then easier to see it for what it is.  And then take steps to mitigate or get rid of it.

So my question to you is – is it real or is it a banana?  And what are you going to do about it?

If you need a hand (one not holding a banana) please do book in for a zoffee (remember – there is no charge for a natter 😃)

Next month’s book if you want to read along and give me your key takeaways will be ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.