Fear is not real, it is a an emotional reaction to danger; False Evidence Appearing Real. Danger is real, yet both of these things can essentially have the same effects on your health, wealth and happiness. One is created in the mind while the other is a very real set of environmental circumstances. Within Fear lies the opportunity to learn what you are capable of, to forge ahead triumphantly and learn new skills, talents and tools that you may have never thought you had. It is my belief that Crisis, that fearful state of panic, is the catalyst for monumental change, for a quantum leap, a paradigm shift. When you find yourself in crisis and are prepared; you have cleared limiting beliefs, the dross from your consciousness, found your individual purpose, defined the non-negotiable values by which you will live your life and take bold and effective action; crisis reveals the depth of your character, the greatness of which you are capable and the opportunities for results you may have previously believed impossible to achieve.

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger–but recognize the opportunity.”
-John F. Kennedy

Those impossible results and that quantum leap you desire lies dormant in the panic-inducing circumstances that many people shy away from or even run away from. In these moments our individual character is tested. We are in a situation where the old Eastern proverb ‘Luck is when preparation meets opportunity’ rings true. How you have prepared and developed your consciousness through self-awareness, creative self-expression, authentic interactions with your environment and those around you and acceptance of what you can and cannot control will determine how effectively you will be able to capitalize on these hidden gems.

If you desire excellence, you must begin preparing yourself for the inevitable crises. Nothing great has ever been achieved through incremental gains, by those who lacked a clarity of purpose or without pain or loss. The history of our race has defined many of our greatest achievements by the extreme circumstances surrounding them such as JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis or Ghandi’s protest of the national salt tax. Greet crisis with a prepared mind, the courage where your desire is stronger than your fear and an awareness of the opportunity to excel that lies dormant within the danger.

In crisis you can either withdraw and flee for safety, attempt to endure the storm until it passes or embrace the tidal wave by diving in deeper towards discovering opportunities for excellence, magnificent facets of your character that you were previously unaware of and personal qualities through which you will become stronger, smarter and more prepared for whatever storm may be over the next horizon.

Create some Fire and Pass the Torch,

The Kanary Team
http://www.johnkanary.com