By Elise Adams

"The choice a person makes in the face of terror literally determines their future."
— Leslie Householder, Mindset Mastery, p. 363

Have you ever felt truly terrified? I’m not just talking about being startled in a dark basement or waking up disoriented in an unfamiliar room. I mean the deep, bone-shaking kind of fear—the kind that stops you cold. Terror.

We’ve all felt fear. Concern over a loved one’s health. Worry about the future. Those are real and valid. But terror? That’s a whole different beast. “...Terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.” And that level of intensity can shut us down completely.

Terror can act like a wall—a “natural formation or structure that prevents or hinders movement or action.” That, my friends, is a barrier. A terror barrier. It’s powerful. But here’s the good news: it’s not just powerful in a limiting way—it can also be energizing. And the direction it takes? That’s up to us.

Now I know what you might be thinking:
“Elise, that’s not true. When I feel terror, I don’t choose anything. I can barely function! I’m just relieved if I make it out alive!”

Oh, friend. I hear you. I’ve been there. And yet—I’m here to tell you: you do have a choice. Even when you feel like the weakest person in the room, you hold the power to blast through that barrier.

Let me share my story.

During the Guided Mindset Mastery course, I hit a terror barrier. Not my first, but the first time I truly recognized it for what it was—and that changed everything.

I had written out my goal statement. Had it approved. I was ready to go. I’d committed to saying it out loud ten times a day. I wanted to be successful. I knew this would work.

So why couldn’t I say it?

I read it silently with no problem. But when I tried to speak it? Nothing. I froze. For three days, I told myself, Just say it, Elise. But the words wouldn’t come. I was stuck. Paralyzed.

That night, I finally said, I’m not going to bed until I say this out loud. The whole day, I wrestled with it. And still—I couldn’t do it.

Later, while getting ready for bed, I vented to my husband. I told him everything—even blamed him for it (oops!). Frustrated, I stormed out of the room and plopped down in our front room, staring at that paper like it held the key to my sanity.

And then—I forced my mouth to open.
I made myself say the first few words.

And I broke.
Tears. Sobs. Something in me cracked open.

Why was I crying so hard over a goal statement? I didn’t understand it. But I knew something big was happening. I kept speaking the words through the tears. I made myself finish.

And when I finally stopped crying—I said it again. And again. Until the crying subsided and I could speak the words with strength. Exhausted, I went to bed.

The next day, I said the statement out loud without hesitation. No tears. Just joy. In fact—I laughed. I felt the truth of that goal taking root in my heart.

So why share this messy, emotional story?

Because you might be staring down your own terror barrier right now.
Maybe it’s a phone call you’re scared to make.
A message you don’t know how to send.
A conversation you feel pulled toward but can’t explain.
Or maybe, like me, it’s simply saying something out loud that matters to you.

Whatever it is—yes. You can do it.

I believe in you. Now it’s your turn.
Believe in yourself—and blast through that barrier.

You’ve got this.
Happy terror barrier busting! 

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
•   If you want more step-by-step guidance on creating the life you really want, join me in the Mindset Mastery program.
•   If you want my help overcoming that giant obstacle right in front of you, learn more and sign up for Genius Bootcamp.