Channelling your anxiety in a positive direction.
I love that I get to talk to people from all over, and learn about their lives, specifically the unexpected snippets and pearls of wisdom that you get from those conversations that really tell you about a person, and can tell you something about yourself.
In my discussion with Larry King on In Case You Didn’t Know, we learned a lot about Larry and his incredible life. We also learned some valuable insights about goals, dreams and success. Through this conversation and my experiences with pursuing my dreams, I hope to share some strategies for life and business that may not always come from the most obvious places.
Many of us deal with anxiety in our lives, from life’s daily bumps in the road — good and bad (getting a new responsibility at work, or applying for a college program) to feeling overwhelmed about a family gathering. What if you could turn your anxiety into a more positive emotion? Anxiety and excitement are very close to each other on the emotional spectrum. (This isn’t meant to be commentary on a clinical diagnosis of anxiety, but the type of general anxiety we all feel in some moments). Think of times you were excited about something. The day I interviewed Larry King seems to be an appropriate example here! I was excited and nervous, and overall a bit anxious! Letting the excitement part of those feelings was important in having a great interview with him. What if you could train your brain to turn your feelings of anxiety into its more popular cousin — excitement. What might you achieve?
In my conversation with Larry King he said something that really struck me, coming from such a successful person,
“After that first day on the radio, I decided to never be nervous again….Just be honest and be yourself.”
Larry decided to take his nervousness, his anxiety about being on the radio (something he had always wanted to do) and instead, channel it into excitement and enthusiasm for his job. He did this through focusing on being honest, being himself and letting his anxiety go in favor of a more positive emotion.
Taking your anxieties and molding them into a positive flow of enthusiasm and excitement for things you are passionate about can create limitless possibilities for personal success. Numerous thought leaders and speakers have identified the parallels in the body between nervousness and excitement, and how as individuals we can harness that energy for the outcome we most desire. I know in my own life, the biggest breakthroughs I have come from moments of uncertainty. The moment before something becomes a breakthrough, it’s a big ball of stress and anxiety right inside my body. A really simple example: even though I have interviewed literally thousands of people, every day that I wake up to a new interview that I have scheduled, whether it’s for a celebrity I’ve never met before, or with someone I know well that I’m having on my podcast, my natural inclination is to feel anxious. I actually have made it a practice to stop, think about the fact that I am actually really excited to have a great conversation with live feedback from an audience, and I have to re-channel my energy in to reminding myself it’s excitement, not anxiety!
For Larry King, being honest and being himself removed his nervousness and allowed him to focus on being the best at what he does. For you, being honest and up-front with who you are instead of being concerned with what other people think about your enthusiasm and your drive can do the same.
Ultimately, your excitement and the genuine way you approach your life and all of its worthwhile pieces is what comes through — and what can make you successful.
One of my favorite things in life is to learn from people who are willing to share insights learned from a lifetime of experiences. There is so much to learn from people like Larry, and I think you’ll be blown away by the insights he shares on Episode 1 of In Case You Didn’t Know with Nick Nanton, streaming now on Amazon Prime.
Let me know below what you learned!
