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.

 

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.