{"id":10660,"date":"2019-10-28T06:34:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T06:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/?p=10660"},"modified":"2025-12-09T09:18:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:18:16","slug":"divorce-when-the-biggest-feeling-is-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/divorce-when-the-biggest-feeling-is-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Divorce &#8211; when the biggest feeling is fear"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#c5b2b1&#8243; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#c984a4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;justified&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Divorce &#8211; when the biggest feeling is fear<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>When the biggest feeling is fear<\/em>, you\u2019re all over the place. You can be frozen like a bunny in the headlights or have a total freak out and start acting like a crazy woman. During your divorce, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll experience both more than once. And it\u2019s totally normal. It\u2019s ok.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fear can\u2019t run the show forever though. You know that. You have to befriend it. Tame it.\u00a0And then you\u2019re back in control \u2013 fear can come along for the ride, but you\u2019re in charge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"recognise_fear\"><\/span>Recognise fear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sneaky thing about fear is that it rarely announces itself. No. It\u2019s the chameleon of emotions, changing its colours to match your situation. It can present as overwhelm, confusion, anger, defensiveness or exhaustion.\u00a0<\/span><em>When the biggest feeling is fear<\/em>, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you might say \u2018I don\u2019t want to do that\u2019, \u2018I can\u2019t afford that\u2019, or \u2018I can\u2019t do that\u2019. Your fear wants to keep you safe and keep everything the same. It\u2019s the ego part of yourself and your ego doesn\u2019t like change. Even when you\u2019re not happy right now. Better the devil you know, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising your fear starts with a willingness to be open to the possibility that you\u2019re plain scared. Yes, you\u2019re overwhelmed, exhausted, all the rest of it. But fear\u2019s hiding under it all.\u00a0 <em>When the biggest feeling is fear, <\/em>it\u2019s holding you back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are about to embark on, or you\u2019re partway through a life-changing time. Divorce is challenging like no other life experience. It\u2019s like being on a ghost-train in a house of horrors. It has exhilarating moments when you feel alive and excited and others when you\u2019re terrified.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Except that this is for real. The emotions are real too, but what\u2019s driving them?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accept that perhaps if you feel like saying \u2018no\u2019 or \u2018I can\u2019t\u2019 it might just be your fear talking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"when_the_biggest_feeling_is_fear_%e2%80%93_name_it\"><\/span>When the biggest feeling is fear &#8211; name it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naming your fear will help you get in charge of it. Now naming it can be as straight forward as calling a spade a spade. As a good Yorkshire girl, I\u2019m used to just saying things as they are. \u2018I\u2019m scared &#8211; this is fear.\u2019 If it\u2019s helpful you can go a step further and give your fear a gender and a name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give it a persona, maybe someone that scared you when you were small but now doesn\u2019t hold power over you (a strict teacher or grumpy neighbour, perhaps). This may sound bizarre, yet it works for children \u2013 and we are just big children after all. If creating a picture of your fear in your mind it makes it easier to negotiate with, do it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"when_the_biggest_feeling_is_fear_%e2%80%93_tame_it\"><\/span>When the biggest feeling is fear &#8211; tame it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you were hoping to get rid of it completely &#8211; sorry, that\u2019s not going to happen. And that\u2019s actually a good thing. We need our fears to keep us safe but we need to learn when they are helpful and when they just get in the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fears that keep you away from the cliff edge, fears that stop you from driving too fast and fears that stop you walking alone at night down a lonely unlit street &#8211; these are good, life-preserving fears.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When our fear is merely stopping us from changing the status quo, then it\u2019s getting in the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leave the financial stability of marriage?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you crazy woman?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who exactly do you think you are?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve got it good\u2026 well it could be worse\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You won\u2019t cope without him\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Had these conversations in your head? That was your fear talking, and in situations like this, your fear is a liar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are worth more than your current unhappiness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And even if it comes at a financial price at least in the short term, you know deep down that you\u2019ll be happier in the long run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You won\u2019t get rid of fear altogether, and you don\u2019t want to. But you do want to get it out of the driving seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GilbertLiz\/posts\/the-letter-to-fearthank-you-to-follower-of-this-page-april-hadley-for-making-thi\/980409515374497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elizabeth Gilbert<\/a> explains it like this in her letter to fear:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to have a seat and you\u2019re allowed to have a voice\u2026but my dear, old, familiar friend you are absolutely forbidden to drive.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"thank_your_fear\"><\/span>Thank your fear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanking your fear helps you let it go. It helps you recognise all the times fear has kept you safe in the past, and it means you let your fear know you will listen again when you need to. But right now moving forward requires change. It requires stepping into the unknown, into uncertainty and an outcome that may not be foreseeable. There\u2019s absolutely no other way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to go through it and if your fear wants to support you, it needs to come along as a silent-partner-in-crime. It needs to recognise it will never be redundant. There will always be more fears!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"trust_yourself_not_your_fear\"><\/span>Trust yourself not your fear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get to the other side, you have to trust yourself more than your fears. If you are cautious by nature or you\u2019ve been emotionally abused so much that now you\u2019re no longer sure who the real you is, trust can be a struggle. I get it. It\u2019s easier to trust your fear because it feels safer. But building trust is like building a muscle. You have to exercise it and push it for it to grow. And you won\u2019t know until you\u2019ve done it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This week I\u2019ve been working on trusting myself more. It\u2019s often scary, but I don\u2019t believe in asking clients to do something I won\u2019t do myself. Integrity is the cornerstone of my business. I want to push through the fears of growing my business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where it is right now is safe and comfortable. It\u2019s at the place where, back when I started I wanted to be. Why? Because several people told me I\u2019d never make any money being a \u2018divorce coach\u2019, that it\u2019s not even a thing!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted to do it anyway but my fear was high &#8211; what if they were right? As a single woman I\u2019m totally financially responsible for myself &#8211; there is no \u2018back up\u2019. What if it didn\u2019t work? Fears ran riot\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I did it anyway. Now my initial goal is met and of course I\u2019ve got bigger goals now -because life! That\u2019s how it is. Guess what comes along\u2026 More fears! Because life. That\u2019s how it is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the last week I\u2019ve committed myself to working with two new coaches over the next year. It\u2019s a significant investment for me. Full of fear at the time and money I\u2019m giving to this? Of course. Doing it anyway? Hell yes! Because I know that by investing in me and my business, both me and my business will grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"on_the_other_side\"><\/span>On the other side<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other side is freedom. You recognise fear for what it really is &#8211; a mechanism to keep you safe. Not the ten-foot high barbed wire fence it feels like. It\u2019s someone you can listen to, acknowledge and do it anyway. And despite the fact your fears will keep shouting in your head, if you choose to trust yourself and act, there\u2019s not a thing they can do about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often on the other side of our fears is the realisation it wasn\u2019t that scary after all. The epic blockbuster movie of disaster didn\u2019t happen after all. Rather than the full fire-works you ended up with a dud. \u201cWhat? Was that it?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a sting with fear taming though. It\u2019s not a one-time thing. Do the scary thing, see it wasn\u2019t that bad, and do you think you\u2019re fear\u2019s learned the lesson? Hell no! Expect the same old \u2018I can\u2019t\u2019 whispering voices this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the next.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"get_support\"><\/span>Get support<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting support to grow and face your fears is one of the best things you can do because it moves you through the paralysis or chaos quicker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I signed with these coaches did my fear want to tell me \u201cI couldn\u2019t afford it\u201d, \u201cI didn\u2019t need it\u201d and I could \u201cdo it myself &#8211; it\u2019s all on Google anyway\u201d?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes it did. Of course it did. It had a really good go. But I know that \u201cI can\u2019t afford it\u201d is often code for \u201cI don\u2019t trust myself to get the benefit from this\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I\u2019m doing it anyway because even though I can find information on Google for free, working with them means they\u2019ll call me out on my fears and excuses. They\u2019ll push me to do things I don\u2019t want to do (for my highest good) and I\u2019ll grow much quicker with their support than on my own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So. If your fears are stopping you and holding you back, work on naming and taming them. Call yourself out. Get back in the driving seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like support along the way, I can help you. When we work together I gently call you out on your fears. Help you reframe and move forward. Can you do it alone? For sure. Will it be quicker and easier with professional support. Definitely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get beyond fear. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Book in a chat with me today.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/about-me-emma-heptonstall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Emma Heptonstall,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the Divorce Alchemist is author of the Amazon best selling book\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/How-Be-Lady-Who-Leaves\/dp\/1999631501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>How to be a Lady Who Leaves, the Ultimate Guide to Getting Divorce Ready<\/strong><\/a>. A former lawyer, Emma is a family mediator and founder of Get Divorce Ready the online self-study and group programmes. Emma has been featured on BBC Radio, The Telegraph, the iPaper and in Marie Claire Magazine. To find out more visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>www.emmaheptonstall.com<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Divorce &#8211; when the biggest feeling is fear &nbsp; When the biggest feeling is fear, you\u2019re all over the place. You can be frozen like a bunny in the headlights or have a total freak out and start acting like a crazy woman. During your divorce, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll experience both more than once. And [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<h1>Divorce - when the biggest feeling is fear<\/h1><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>When the biggest feeling is fear<\/em>, you\u2019re all over the place. You can be frozen like a bunny in the headlights or have a total freak out and start acting like a crazy woman. During your divorce, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll experience both more than once. And it\u2019s totally normal. It\u2019s ok.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fear can\u2019t run the show forever though. You know that. You have to befriend it. Tame it.\u00a0And then you\u2019re back in control \u2013 fear can come along for the ride, but you\u2019re in charge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>Recognise fear<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sneaky thing about fear is that it rarely announces itself. No. It\u2019s the chameleon of emotions, changing its colours to match your situation. It can present as overwhelm, confusion, anger, defensiveness or exhaustion.\u00a0<\/span><em>When the biggest feeling is fear<\/em>, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you might say \u2018I don\u2019t want to do that\u2019, \u2018I can\u2019t afford that\u2019, or \u2018I can\u2019t do that\u2019. Your fear wants to keep you safe and keep everything the same. It\u2019s the ego part of yourself and your ego doesn\u2019t like change. Even when you\u2019re not happy right now. Better the devil you know, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising your fear starts with a willingness to be open to the possibility that you\u2019re plain scared. Yes, you\u2019re overwhelmed, exhausted, all the rest of it. But fear\u2019s hiding under it all.\u00a0 <em>When the biggest feeling is fear, <\/em>it\u2019s holding you back.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are about to embark on, or you\u2019re partway through a life-changing time. Divorce is challenging like no other life experience. It\u2019s like being on a ghost-train in a house of horrors. It has exhilarating moments when you feel alive and excited and others when you\u2019re terrified.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Except that this is for real. The emotions are real too, but what\u2019s driving them?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accept that perhaps if you feel like saying \u2018no\u2019 or \u2018I can\u2019t\u2019 it might just be your fear talking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>When the biggest feeling is fear - name it<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naming your fear will help you get in charge of it. Now naming it can be as straight forward as calling a spade a spade. As a good Yorkshire girl, I\u2019m used to just saying things as they are. \u2018I\u2019m scared - this is fear.\u2019 If it\u2019s helpful you can go a step further and give your fear a gender and a name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give it a persona, maybe someone that scared you when you were small but now doesn\u2019t hold power over you (a strict teacher or grumpy neighbour, perhaps). This may sound bizarre, yet it works for children \u2013 and we are just big children after all. If creating a picture of your fear in your mind it makes it easier to negotiate with, do it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>When the biggest feeling is fear - tame it<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you were hoping to get rid of it completely - sorry, that\u2019s not going to happen. And that\u2019s actually a good thing. We need our fears to keep us safe but we need to learn when they are helpful and when they just get in the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fears that keep you away from the cliff edge, fears that stop you from driving too fast and fears that stop you walking alone at night down a lonely unlit street - these are good, life-preserving fears.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When our fear is merely stopping us from changing the status quo, then it\u2019s getting in the way.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leave the financial stability of marriage?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you crazy woman?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who exactly do you think you are?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve got it good\u2026 well it could be worse\u2026<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You won\u2019t cope without him\u2026<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Had these conversations in your head? That was your fear talking, and in situations like this, your fear is a liar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not crazy.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are worth more than your current unhappiness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And even if it comes at a financial price at least in the short term, you know deep down that you\u2019ll be happier in the long run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You won\u2019t get rid of fear altogether, and you don\u2019t want to. But you do want to get it out of the driving seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GilbertLiz\/posts\/the-letter-to-fearthank-you-to-follower-of-this-page-april-hadley-for-making-thi\/980409515374497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elizabeth Gilbert<\/a> explains it like this in her letter to fear:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to have a seat and you\u2019re allowed to have a voice\u2026but my dear, old, familiar friend you are absolutely forbidden to drive.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>Thank your fear<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanking your fear helps you let it go. It helps you recognise all the times fear has kept you safe in the past, and it means you let your fear know you will listen again when you need to. But right now moving forward requires change. It requires stepping into the unknown, into uncertainty and an outcome that may not be foreseeable. There\u2019s absolutely no other way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to go through it and if your fear wants to support you, it needs to come along as a silent-partner-in-crime. It needs to recognise it will never be redundant. There will always be more fears!<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>Trust yourself not your fear<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get to the other side, you have to trust yourself more than your fears. If you are cautious by nature or you\u2019ve been emotionally abused so much that now you\u2019re no longer sure who the real you is, trust can be a struggle. I get it. It\u2019s easier to trust your fear because it feels safer. But building trust is like building a muscle. You have to exercise it and push it for it to grow. And you won\u2019t know until you\u2019ve done it.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This week I\u2019ve been working on trusting myself more. It\u2019s often scary, but I don\u2019t believe in asking clients to do something I won\u2019t do myself. Integrity is the cornerstone of my business. I want to push through the fears of growing my business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where it is right now is safe and comfortable. It\u2019s at the place where, back when I started I wanted to be. Why? Because several people told me I\u2019d never make any money being a \u2018divorce coach\u2019, that it\u2019s not even a thing!\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted to do it anyway but my fear was high - what if they were right? As a single woman I\u2019m totally financially responsible for myself - there is no \u2018back up\u2019. What if it didn\u2019t work? Fears ran riot\u2026<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I did it anyway. Now my initial goal is met and of course I\u2019ve got bigger goals now -because life! That\u2019s how it is. Guess what comes along\u2026 More fears! Because life. That\u2019s how it is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the last week I\u2019ve committed myself to working with two new coaches over the next year. It\u2019s a significant investment for me. Full of fear at the time and money I\u2019m giving to this? Of course. Doing it anyway? Hell yes! Because I know that by investing in me and my business, both me and my business will grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>On the other side<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other side is freedom. You recognise fear for what it really is - a mechanism to keep you safe. Not the ten-foot high barbed wire fence it feels like. It\u2019s someone you can listen to, acknowledge and do it anyway. And despite the fact your fears will keep shouting in your head, if you choose to trust yourself and act, there\u2019s not a thing they can do about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often on the other side of our fears is the realisation it wasn\u2019t that scary after all. The epic blockbuster movie of disaster didn\u2019t happen after all. Rather than the full fire-works you ended up with a dud. \u201cWhat? Was that it?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a sting with fear taming though. It\u2019s not a one-time thing. Do the scary thing, see it wasn\u2019t that bad, and do you think you\u2019re fear\u2019s learned the lesson? Hell no! Expect the same old \u2018I can\u2019t\u2019 whispering voices this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the next.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2>Get support<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting support to grow and face your fears is one of the best things you can do because it moves you through the paralysis or chaos quicker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I signed with these coaches did my fear want to tell me \u201cI couldn\u2019t afford it\u201d, \u201cI didn\u2019t need it\u201d and I could \u201cdo it myself - it\u2019s all on Google anyway\u201d?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes it did. Of course it did. It had a really good go. But I know that \u201cI can\u2019t afford it\u201d is often code for \u201cI don\u2019t trust myself to get the benefit from this\u201d.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I\u2019m doing it anyway because even though I can find information on Google for free, working with them means they\u2019ll call me out on my fears and excuses. They\u2019ll push me to do things I don\u2019t want to do (for my highest good) and I\u2019ll grow much quicker with their support than on my own.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So. If your fears are stopping you and holding you back, work on naming and taming them. Call yourself out. Get back in the driving seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like support along the way, I can help you. When we work together I gently call you out on your fears. Help you reframe and move forward. Can you do it alone? For sure. Will it be quicker and easier with professional support. Definitely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get beyond fear. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Book in a chat with me today.<\/span><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/about-me-emma-heptonstall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Emma Heptonstall,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the Divorce Alchemist is author of the Amazon best selling book\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/How-Be-Lady-Who-Leaves\/dp\/1999631501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>How to be a Lady Who Leaves, the Ultimate Guide to Getting Divorce Ready<\/strong><\/a>. A former lawyer, Emma is a family mediator and founder of Get Divorce Ready the online self-study and group programmes. Emma has been featured on BBC Radio, The Telegraph, the iPaper and in Marie Claire Magazine. To find out more visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>www.emmaheptonstall.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20,397],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divorce-coaching","category-divorce-self-care"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Copy-of-Copy-of-EH_BlogImage-3.png?fit=1000%2C516&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6aDhr-2LW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}