SUMMARY
Does Social Anxiety control every aspect of your life?
For many, Social Anxiety is something that they do not want people to know for many reasons.
Maybe because they are embarrassed about it.
Maybe they are afraid that people might judge them.
Or maybe they are hiding it within themselves because it controls their emotions, feelings, and thoughts – especially when they are in a social situation.
In this episode, Sebastiaan will be reading a powerful testimonial from John, who has met his goal of becoming completely comfortable within himself and in his environment.
How about you?
Do you want to achieve the confidence that John gained?
Listen to this powerful testimonial and be inspired to start your journey to social ease as well.
FULL TRANSCRIPTION
Does Social Anxiety control every aspect of your life?
It was like that for John Farrar.
He wrote to me last week, explaining how his life has changed forever after the coaching sessions we did about 5 years ago and it was such a beautiful testimonial that I want to read it out to you.
Normally I do that on Testimonial Tuesday, but I want to do that now because I think you’ll find this very inspiring.
Here we go!
“Seb,
Just wanted to send you a quick thank you. 5 years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life and decided to pay for 3 sessions of Social Anxiety coaching with you.
I felt so much of a difference after just 3 sessions that I paid for 7 more, and since that time, my life has been forever changed.
I wanted to share a brief synopsis of my Social Anxiety story and what I’m doing with my life these days.
It’s crazy to say this, but I’m so separated from my Social Anxiety these days, that as I write this, I have to sit quietly and work hard to go back to that place in my mind only 5 years ago.
What’s even crazier about having to work hard to remember is that I lived with Social Anxiety for over 20 years and it controlled every aspect of my life.
Social Anxiety has a way of creeping into all areas of your life over time and even affecting your closest relationships.
Over the decades, I saw psychiatrists and counselors and was put on many medications of which little relief was found.
I tried self-help programs, was involved in Social Anxiety support groups, and even paid for Social Anxiety specific programs.
None of these things helped or affected any change in my life.
In fact, I started feeling more hopeless with every failed attempt.
I knew from all the counseling sessions and material that I had read that my thinking and perception of the world was the problem. But no matter what I tried; I could not change my perspective and subsequent reaction in the moment.
I’ve experienced more embarrassing situations in my life due to Social Anxiety than this email has room and with every humiliating experience, my confidence grew weaker, and my fear grew stronger.
I’ve experienced almost every type of Social Anxiety symptom that is possible.
I’ve had profuse sweating, extreme blushing, heart racing, handshaking, leg shaking, and eye twitching.
I’ve had many times where I had trouble speaking and times where I was outright speechless as a group stood around waiting for me to respond to a question.
I would dread social events and even worry months ahead of time when something was planned on the calendar.
Just being around people was terrifying, so you can imagine what would happen when I was asked to speak in front of people…
… it was a disaster.
By the age of 35, my Social Anxiety had become so bad that I couldn’t even enjoy my time around my closest friends and family.
I was hopeless, depressed, and secretly thought that I might end up taking my own life one day due to the pain and misery that I felt.
After yet another exhausting social engagement, I told my wife that I was going to dedicate myself once again to trying to find a cure for my Social Anxiety.
This is when I discovered an animated YouTube video that you had made, describing what Social Anxiety is and how it is cured.
I also found a video of you talking about your own Social Anxiety and I was convinced that your issues were as difficult as my own at one time.
The fact that you had found a way out gave me a glimmer of hope.
I immediately joined the social confidence program and scheduled a coaching session.
What I found in your personal coaching sessions was instant relief for all the internal baggage that I had been carrying around for so long.
I also discovered that I had many limiting subconscious beliefs about myself that were causing the Social Anxiety.
I understandably was skeptical initially as to how much change would actually occur in these sessions, since everything previously had led me down.
You told me that it was going to be much easier than I realized, and you were right.
My life goal of being comfortable with myself completely, as well as completely comfortable in social situations was met within 2-3 months; I then realized that it was time to set higher goals.
I’m currently 5 classes short of finishing my Graduate Degree in Counseling.
I plan to have my own private counseling practice in the next few years.
My father passed away last month, and I was given the opportunity to speak at his funeral. In the past, this would have crippled me.
I would have spent the preparation time dreading what embarrassing experiences would most likely occur and I might have even considered not speaking.
I also wouldn’t have slept in weeks leading up to the event.
But this wasn’t the case, and this kind of anxiety does not occur in my life anymore.
I slept well and I was able to honor him with powerful words that captured the kind of man he was and what he meant to me.
I was socially calm and confident throughout the whole event.
By the way, to give you some perspective, this funeral had over 1,200 people at it, as well as 4,000 people live streaming online.
Because of the changes that have occurred in me, I feel like my true abilities are now coming to the surface.
I’ve spoken many times in front of groups in the past few years and have found that I’m actually really good at it.
Who would have thought?
Truly loving and accepting oneself is a beautiful and powerful thing.
It might be the most powerful thing that a person can do for themselves.
Every person has landmark events that occur in their lives that changed them forever.
These events often start a new chapter in a person’s life.
Many years from now when I’m looking back on these landmark events over the course of my life, there will be one with your name on it.
Thanks again for all the work that you have done to help change my life and countless others.
If you ever need anything, please let me know.
I would be honored to help because in so many ways… I owe you one.”
John Farrar,
Dallas, Texas, USA.
So there you have it. That was a touching testimonial for me to read.
This is the 4th time or something that I read it.
I reached out to John and asked him if I could read it out and he was happy for me to do so. So there you have it.
I hope this inspires you.
John, like he writes, was having very significant Social Anxiety. It was no joke.
And I myself had very significant Social Anxiety as well, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing because I managed to get out of it.
And in the midst of it, I kind of swore to myself, “Please let me get out of this and I’ll help other people.”
Might sound cheesy, but this was like a desperate contract I made with and I didn’t even know what I believed in.
I’m still kind of figuring that thing out. So, anyway, I hope this inspires you.
And that’s it for now. Bye for now!
If you experience Social Anxiety, click below to receive the FREE “7 Secrets to Social Confidence” Mini Course!
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