Overcoming Fear

Everyone is afraid at times. Nobody walking this planet is exempt from fear. However, the successful are those who confront their fears by moving forward. Overcoming fear is the most basic of actions if you are going to lead a successful life.

We see many people who live in a "box" because of the fear they have. They are too fearful to strike out on their own and achieve what they truly desire. Instead, they live the dream of another. This is sad. Of course, this choice is rationalized by saying such things as "I am being responsible".

Fear exists totally in your head. It is not real. The truth is believing in fear is as effective as believing in the Easter Bunny. They both carry the same power over your life.

The only power that fear has is what you give to it. As FDR said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself". Einstein said, "I feared over 10,000 things in my life, most of which never came true". If we cease to buy into the fear, it ceases to be able to control us.

Many think that courage is the absence of fear. It is not. Courage is acting in spite of the fear that you have. This is what separates those who control fear versus those who are controlled by it.

Another truth is that it takes courage to forge your own life. Society has an effective method of modeling our behavior to it's liking. The same is true for family and friends. If you stray from the acceptable norm, you risk being chastised by others. This can be a scary proposition to many.

Often, the only thing standing between you and success is your fear. Many have the ability yet seem to "freeze" when it is time to act. They are no different then a deer caught in headlights. Fear takes control of the situation.

So, how do you overcome this? Since the problem resides in your mind, we only need a mental solution. It starts with the understanding that fear is not real. It is a mechanism the mind uses to control us. Our minds like certainty. When it is confronted with an unknown, it creates fear to move us into inactivity. This way the mind can rest in certainty.

Also, ponder what Einstein said. Most of what we expect to happen never really comes true. The mind has a way of exaggerating the negative. It tends to go to the "worst case scenario". Fortunately, in life, the worst case rarely happens. Situations usually work out much better than we anticipated. This is where the mind games are waged.

Ignore the negative self talk of your mind. It is not your friend. The best thing you can do is to remember that action is the bridge to success in any endeavor. Resist the temptation to be paralyzed by fear. Taking action, in and of itself, is overcoming fear. When we act, we are exercising our personal power. It is us, not fear, who is in control of the situation.
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