Today’s fear was the classic “they’re going to think I’m stupid” fear.

I was in a meeting  and I came up with a suggestion for the facilitator.  After the idea came up, I was waiting for a break in the convo to share it and that’s when the fear crept in:

The more I thought about it, the less I liked it.

Then I started to think that people wouldn’t like the idea.

And then I imagined them looking at me like I was an idiot.

Oy! I was getting all wound up and it had only been like 30 seconds.  Literally.

The co-facilitator noticed my hand half-up and gave me the floor to speak before I had a chance to back down.

Gulp!

So I put the fear aside and shared my idea.

And guess what?

Not only did the facilitator say that she was going to take the idea to her boss, but the other people in the meeting loved it!

Really? You mean, you don’t think I’m stupid?! Whew!

Has this ever happened to you? If so, please leave me a supportive comment.  If not, then you aren’t sharing enough of your brilliant ideas & you need to join the 100 Things I Fear challenge!

{note: I know the above photo has nothing to do with this post directly, but I took this picture & I like it so I’m posting it. I’ve decided that that’s a good enough reason to include it :~}

Men are heartless.

It’s a total lie. You know it. I know it. And yet, we continue to shun men who express their emotions. We label them as weak or homosexual. What an insult to men and the gay community.

So how do we go about creating an environment where men are accepted as the sentient beings we all are? I’m so glad you asked because I’ve got some great ideas!

First of all, as HGTV says, “start at home.”

Women…ask the men in your home how they are feeling and then stop talking and start listening.  Create a safe, quiet space for your men to open up in.  This doesn’t have to be long and involved.  I’m talking about a few minutes at a time.

Men…describe how you are feeling even if you don’t understand it.  This isn’t about solving a problem.  It’s only about giving words to what’s inside as a way to let it out.  This can be to your beloved, a friend, or even in your journal.  What? You don’t have a journal? Why not? Go out there and treat yourself to a book that’s all about you.

As you can see, I’m not talking about rocket science here.  I’m talking about giving a few minutes of time, energy, and attention to the often overlooked heart of a man.  Try these simple ideas and let me know how it goes. Did any challenges come up for you? Are you struggling to get started? Or do you have more ideas that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about it.

Simply Fearless ~
Coach Cassandra Rae
Cassandra[at]SimplyFearless.com