When Terror Strikes

I have written about entrepreneurial terror.

This is a cold, clammy all-encompassing fear that every entrepreneur feels at some point in their career. The fear that they made a mistake. That they will not be able to make payroll. That their company may go down the tubes.

Others may also feel the same dread.

It may happen when you lose your job. Or when you receive an ominous medical diagnosis. Or when someone close to you has a serious accident. Or when you discover your child has a serious addiction problem and is involved in criminal activity. Or a host of similar reasons.

This anxiety is so strong that it sweeps everything before it. Yes, you know it is all mental chatter. But it is darn strong. And it is scary. And it won’t go away. And you have a physical reaction to it. Your palms are sweaty. Your heartbeat accelerates. Your blood pressure rises.

Everybody has been there at some point.

If you are in such a place, you have to be ruthless and take action right away.

First, sit in a comfortable chair and observe your breath. Take full breaths with each completely filling your lungs. Breathe really slowly. Really, really slowly. Three breaths a minute or fewer. Do this for five minutes.

Second, be ferocious in curbing your mind. Your fear is exacerbated by the stories you are telling yourself about what will happen to you. Recognize this and pull yourself back from the dark places you have visited. This is not easy, but it can be done. This is the time to cease desultory practice of the exercises I have shared with you and become deadly serious. These exercises are listed in my book Are YOU Ready to Succeed?.

Third, relentlessly, invest in the process, not the outcome. It is a friendly universe, and it does have your back even though it may be difficult to believe right now. Your entire focus needs to be on what you can do to ameliorate the situation.

Fourth, hand your problem over to a higher power. If faith is important in your life give it to Krishna, or Jesus, or Allah or the Buddha or whomever you revere. If you are atheistic or agnostic, give it over to the universe. As you do so, ask that the situation be resolved in a manner that is best for all parties involved.

Finally, surrender. The outcome will be what it is. You will try to shape this outcome, but you do not have control over it. Make peace with it. The way to do this is to consciously envision a worst-case scenario and then decide what you will do if it comes to pass.

Intense physical activity helps. Go for a jog. Play tennis or squash. Work out in the gym.

You will probably have to repeat these steps. Do so.

And you will realize the profound truth of “This, Too, Shall Pass.”

Peace!