I was asked recently to write about Fear and ways to overcome it. What is fear? It is simply being afraid to do something. But how do you know you are afraid in the first place? Is there a place in your body that alerts you to feeling fearful? What kind of stories do you create in your head that allow you to escape doing something?
Fear creates a feeling of helplessness. You can’t do it because you have created this sense of being helpless. Fear is really only a creation in your mind, it is a self-limiting story you have created so you do not have to move forward. If you did not create a sense of fear you would do everything you wanted to. You would sky dive, wakeboard, travel to many places of earth, pick up snakes, etc. But because you have created this fear that stops you in your tracks, you become paralyzed and find excuses for your inability to try something new.
So, what is it that you are afraid of?
How many excuses and distractions can you find?
Are you afraid of failing or are you afraid of creating?
We generally believe fear is a sign of danger, but is it really danger or is it a story we continuously tell ourselves so we do not have to change? Maybe we should view fear as a sign that we are growing, we are moving beyond our self-contained box, we are spreading our wings and flying into uncharted territory. Fear is exhilarating; it is removing the boundaries that have held us captive. When we feel fear we are moving towards our dreams, what our souls have come to earth to do.
If you think you are alone in your fear, you are mistaken. I believe everyone knows fear, some of us hold ourselves back by it and others engage it.
So I could create all kinds of self-help tools, however, you can do the same thing without me telling you what will work. But until you fully acknowledge and almost encourage fear to enter your world, you will never get past it. It will plague you forever, and it is possible that a great opportunity will pass you by. So I encourage you to feel the fear and ask yourself, what is this fear and what can I learn from it? How will it move me forward and create happiness in my life? Focus on the benefits of the movement instead of the repercussions of the hold it has on you.
I wonder if I viewed fear as an opportunity to be more creative and allow it to guide me, what would my world look like then? After all fear is only a thought, which can be changed to fit any need I have.
So for me, fear is about change and I have a choice to embrace it or to deny it. The choice is mine!
