This post is a re-run, originally posted in June of 2009 after a nasty cyber-troll burst my bubble – big time!

I’m re-posting it today in response to a conversation with one of my awesome VIP clients. You see, someone burst HER bubble this week and I’m on a mission to help her (and you) to bounce back fast if/when it happens to you!

Let me ask you…

Have you ever put yourself out there with a new product, program, service or bold idea only to experience a totally unexpected backlash?

It’s what happened to me…

And I can tell you, it felt like I had been punched in the gut! I’m not kidding. I was completely winded. My initial reaction was to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out. It hurt.

The “silly” thing was that praise had poured in too but suddenly I had blinders on and that one ugly message not only knocked me on my @ss – it was all I could see.

Thanks to the incredible women (and a few men) that I mastermind with, I was able to pick myself up, dust myself off – all in record time!

Here’s the really cool part…

When I was in the midst of the frustration, anger, self-doubt (ohhhh the self doubt!) and plain old stuckness that comes with any kind of reaction you’re not prepared for, my intuition kicked into gear and I reached out to my mastermind for… HELP!

I posted my situation to our mastermind forum and shared my heartache. Within minutes I had people who truly care about me and my success sending me virtual hugs, sharing their own bubble bursting experiences, talking me down off the ledge of fear and self doubt and ultimately helped me to gain perspective so I could move forward again. Phew!

There’s no info product, article or eBook that could have impacted me the way this group of amazing women did that day (and still do).

If you’re going through anything similar, I want you to know that you’re not alone.

And that there are some really simple things you can do to manage the fear and self-doubt that comes with any kind of negative response …

1. Get out of your head and follow your heart.

When you’re in the midst of a painful situation it’s easy to curl up in a ball and completely shut down or, the opposite, to lash out too quickly.

The negative self-talk we all experience is louder and nastier than ever.

The key is to get out of your head and follow your heart. Challenge the self-talk and compare it to the truths you hold in your heart. The sooner you do this, the quicker you’ll bounce back – stronger than ever!

2. Reach out and ask for help.

My mentor reminded me of something this week…

There’s a big myth that exists in our minds that admitting our fear somehow makes us weak or unsuccessful. And I agree with Marie… this is total baloney.

Here’s her advice on this one:

“I feel fear regularly…especially when I’m in the midst of creating a lot of cool, new stuff.

When you step outside of the norms in business and life, expect some fear. Just don’t let it stop you.

The best thing to do is to gently call yourself out on it and more importantly, call a friend.

The secret is to share your fear from a neutral place (meaning: don’t FREAK out and believe your fearful thoughts) and allow your friend to “talk you back from the ledge.”

3. Fail Forward and Take Immediate Action.

A philosophy that serves me well is the idea that every “failure” offers an opportunity to grow. In fact, the Chinese symbol for “crisis” also represents “opportunity”.

When something goes wrong or doesn’t unfold according to plan, rather than view it as a failure and get caught up in your head like I mentioned earlier. Get into action.

Here’s what I mean…

Rather than continue to moan and groan and feel angry and frustrated with the negative reaction I encountered just days before, I re-focused positive energy to the new programs I have prepared for 2010.

I mapped out my virtual and live retreats programs, organized the time lines, created content and then celebrated with my honey (a.k.a. Steve).

I am privileged to be part of amazing masterminds. Surrounding myself with people who really care about my success makes all the difference in the world. When you have this, it’s pretty difficult to really fail.

I’m so excited to launch some new programs. They’re infused with the essentials I’ve identified for creating my own fun, fame and fortune with the goal that they will become your reason why it’s impossible for you to fail too!

Setbacks can be the ideal fodder for mega creativity – if you get out of your head, ask for help and… fail forward.

Okay…

I’ve gotta run. We are snowed in this week and I’m helping my Mom-in-Law with a big pot of soup for the boys who are snow blowing driveways, sidewalks and streets in the neighbourhood.

Have the best week ever and I’ll talk with you again soon.

Gina xo