Fear
of Image : FIMAGE
"As soon as you worry about looking stupid, that's when you get
stupid."
When we are babies, we learn constantly and we do it without caring
about how we look. Babies almost never look cool. In fact, they look
ridiculously un-cool most of the time. But we all love babies. We
find them entirely entertaining. We are fascinated with their
ability to explore everything. They are fascinated, baffled and
excited about things that we all take for granted. They can spend an
hour just playing with a rock.
Remember when learning was fun? When
you did things without worrying about looking cool in the process?
Well,
unfortunately for most of us, those days are over. Most of us now
have this little critic that lives in our own head. This critic pops
up anytime we are challenged, anytime we are in a new situation,
anytime we are around new people...all these situations cause us to
consider the possibility of not looking cool. These challenging
situations make us worried about making mistakes, failing, looking
silly and all of these fears are amplified if those things happen in
front of other people!
Nobody likes to make a fool out of
themselves in front of others. We will do almost anything to avoid
that.
Unfortunately, this fear of looking
stupid and making mistakes actually stops us from participating in
activities that could lead to learning. This fear, called the fear
of image, is the enemy of learning. This fear is natural and must be
overcome to ensure that learning continues as we age. So, we have
nicknamed this fear. We call it FIMAGE and it must be conquered!
Here are a few ways to blast through
your FIMAGE and experience learning the way that babies do:
- Everyday it is important to
challenge your FIMAGE. Do things that push you out of your comfort
zone. The more you challenge yourself, the more your FIMAGE begins
to evaporate.
- Keep participating in your
learning. Be involved in the classroom.
- Be willing to look silly while
learning. Making mistakes is a necessary part of the learning
process.
- Support others when they take a
risk. Be extra supportive when others make a mistake.
Do these things and you will be
learning constantly, having fun and role modeling what it takes to
be successful.
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