The Daleks are a lesson for us all – things are never as scary as you think they are going to be!

Anyone over the age of 40 who saw today the news that the Beeb are going to retire the Daleks or at least put them into some kind of intergalactic suspended animation must be thinking how it was that these incredible creatures used the frighten us so much that we watched Dr Who from behind the sofa whenever they were on.   And then of course rushed outside to play Dr Who and the Daleks croaking the immortal words “Exterminate, Exterminate!” 

Today, as adults, I suspect that most of us watch them with a degree of amusement, trying to work out why and how they were so frightening to us all those years ago.  But fear, or fear of the unknown is quite common in our lives and especially in our business lives.  How many times have we pondered and worried over a decision or worried about doing something new? 

The truth is that fear holds too many people back from doing what they really want to do.  Now I’m not suggesting that you up sticks today, leave your family and disappear off to travel around the world because that is what you have always wanted to do it, but what I am saying is that whilst fear is a natural phenomenon, it can hold us back from making the right decisions or from doing something that we have never done before.  What kind of fear is it?  Fear of failure, because we worry what people will think about us or what people might say about us.  The truth is that the sort of people that might advise you not to do something are saying that because they wouldn’t dream of doing it themselves.  Their fear of failure is transmitted to you ,and suddenly you start worrying about what others might think about you instead of thinking about what might happen if you succeed - and surely that’s why you thought of the idea in the first place and why you are now worrying about whether to follow through and actually do it.

No-one ever succeeded in life without failing first at something.  Failure is what makes us stronger and what drives us to make sure that we don’t fail next time around.  Don’t worry about what others may think about your plans – by all means talk to people you trust and know who will give you honest advice, but stay away from the doom-mongers and the naysayers who think it is acceptable to throw their monkeys on your back and persuade you never to take a risk in life. 

Life is short enough as it is to do all the things we want to achieve in life – I have so much I want to do and never enough time to do it but that’s more to do with getting my life in order rather than a lack of will on my part!

 
So what’s all this got to do with the Daleks again – well I was thinking that fear is a bit like watching the Daleks – you can hide behind the sofa for the rest of your life and do nothing or you can peep around, get up and realise that things aren’t so frightening after all and that’s the same as doing something new or different in your life or in business – it’s never quite as frightening after you’ve taken that first leap and got over your initial fears!

My first blog message therefore is to say to all of you who have dreams and ideas and plans is to get out there and do all you can to achieve them, do them and make the best of your time on this earth – before the Daleks come back and get you again!