As a child, I loved flying. I loved performing. Both brought me pure joy, excitement, and wonder. Flying meant overseas adventures to visit family, and performing was a regular part of life as a Suzuki violin student from the age of four.

I trusted everything—planes, pilots, the process, the people around me. That trust allowed me to delight in the experience, whether soaring through the clouds or standing in front of an audience with my violin.

But as I grew older, things changed. Slowly, I developed a fear of flying and a fear of performing in certain situations. Both anxieties grew until they became overwhelming, leaving me fantasizing about giving up flying or performing altogether.

Of course, neither option was acceptable.

I tried everything I could think of to calm my fear of flying, but nothing worked. It felt irrational and out of my control. One day, feeling desperate, I decided enough was enough. I boarded a domestic flight with one mission: to get to the bottom of my fear and solve it once and for all.

That flight changed everything.

As I sat with my thoughts, I took a deep dive into my memories, comparing my childhood joy to my adult fear. The answer was startlingly clear: TRUST.

As a child, I trusted everything and everyone. As an adult, however, I had become hyper-aware of everything that could go wrong. My mistrust had taken over.

But here’s the breakthrough: I realized that since the future is completely unpredictable, I could choose to imagine what could go right, rather than fixating on what could go wrong. Why let fear dictate my thoughts when I had the power to direct them elsewhere?

This realization marked a turning point. Instead of succumbing to the brain’s natural negativity bias, I chose to focus on trust and use my imagination to create a sense of safety.

I reminded myself: Yes, the plane could crash. But since I can’t control that, why not imagine the best possible outcome? Even in the worst-case scenario, I could still embrace a mindset of peace and freedom.

By practicing this mental shift, my fear of flying dissolved. The jitters might still appear occasionally (especially during turbulence), but they no longer control me. I now rely on powerful mind-body techniques and a cultivated sense of trust to stay calm and centered.

What’s fascinating is that this same approach transformed my experience with performance anxiety.

Just like my fear of flying, performance anxiety stemmed from mistrust—mistrust of myself, the audience, and the process. But by applying the same principles of intentional thought and imagination, I rediscovered the childlike joy and freedom I once had as a performer.

Trust, joy, and confidence aren’t lost forever. They’re skills that can be nurtured and practiced—just like playing a musical instrument.

As musicians, we practice scales, arpeggios, and repertoire. But how often do we practice how we think, feel, and move? How we relate to ourselves, our instruments, and our audiences?

Performance anxiety is no different from a fear of flying. And the solution is the same: cultivating trust through consistent, mindful practice.

If performance anxiety is holding you back, I’d love to help. Together, we can develop a step-by-step approach to ease you into the spotlight with confidence, joy, and freedom.

Curious? Send me a message, and let’s chat about how I can support you on this journey.

Joyfully,
Jennifer

P.S. Overcoming performance anxiety doesn’t have to be hard! If you’re looking for quick, practical help, check out my Performance Anxiety SOS Kit – you can access it directly from my website!