FFF - The "Fear-Factor Flu"
As you know, in recent weeks, a national housing crisis has exploded, quickly becoming a financial crisis on Wall Street and now a global crisis. We are spending $800B in federal bailout for our financial institutions - all funded by us the taxpayers and generations of taxpayers to follow. People are anxious. Panic and fear are on the rise. Leaders are becoming impulsive and increasingly reactive. If these aren't critical times, we don't know what is.
In support of our community of leaders (hey, that's what we do!) we are issuing an alert regarding a growing pandemic in our nation that appears now to be spreading world-wide. The pandemic is what we are calling the "Fear-Factor Flu." This condition is now sweeping out nation and threatens to paralyze creativity and impair problem-solving abilities. If left unchecked it could perpetuate and greatly amplify the negative consequences of our international financial crisis and wreak havoc for generations to come. Great caution is warranted because it is highly contagious.
Common Symptoms of FFF
One quick diagnostic for FFF is to ask yourself the question, "What could be funny about this?" If you can't think of an answer, you may be in the early stages of FFF. If you find yourself identifying ONLY two solutions to a particular problem, you may be in the more advanced stages of this disease. If you notice any of the symptoms below, take immediate action.
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Increased heart rate (110+ bpm in males and 120+ bpm in females)
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Shallow breathing
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Increased defensiveness and/or irritation with others
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Other-focused behaviors/blame displacement
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Decreased curiosity and a false sense of certainty
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Decreased creativity and a narrowing of options
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Decreased humor and playfulness (OSD - Overly Serious Disorder)
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Cognitive impairment or fatigue ("either/or" thinking, or refusal to think)
Other, more subtle symptoms are included at the end of this bulletin.*
Prevention and Treatment
Like most serious diseases, the key to success is early intervention. Delaying treatment may lead to chronic FFF and may even prove to be fatal.
The symptoms of early stages of FFF are subtle. Since cognitive impairment is among them, it can often go unrecognized and undetected by the person infected. Later stages not only include this impairment but a tendency toward building resistance to the recognition of symptoms. FFF is highly contagious and can strike anyone at any time.
The following actions have proven effective in preventing FFF or arresting and reversing the course of this disease:
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Focus on life-mission
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Take responsibility for self-regulation
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Self-define and show compassion, vulnerability and courage
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Develop personal maturity (take responsibility for your own "ok-ness")
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Cultivate playfulness/humor
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Read this newsletter on a monthly basis
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Seek interaction with an authentic and challenging community
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Pass this information on to colleagues, family and friends
We believe THE SINGLE MOST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IS INVOLVEMENT WITH AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO KEEPING SELF AND EACH OTHER RESOURCEFUL To inquire about membership in HealingLeaders or get more information regarding FFF, contact us at support@healingleaders.com.
Be Well,
Howard Hansen
Steve Geske
* Lesser known symptoms of FFF
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Involuntary, knee-jerk reactions that are justified after the fact rather than thought out ahead of time
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Inability to blink, to stop and slow down one's own decision making process
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Inability to concentrate and increased tendency to interrupt thoughtful interactions
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Decreased listening, especially to direct questions
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Increased focus on symptoms and displacement issues
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FDD (Focus Deficit Disorder)
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Retreat toward instant comfort and quick answers
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Unclear speaking including broken grammar
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An undercurrent of mostly self-anger
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Diminished ability to think ahead and increased focus on short-term solutions
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Hyper focusing on minutia and irrelevant details
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Obsessive problem analysis
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Increased social fusion, group-think and "bandwagon behavior"
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Increased desire for data and possible data addiction |
