Face Your Fears And Defeat Them
Empowerment
By Karynne Summars
What would you do if you knew you would not fail? You should do exactly that right now.
Fear is a product of our thoughts, and fears can teach us valuable lessons allowing us to move on and grow if we face and defeat them. Overcoming fear is liberating and we often look back then and think, “Why was I afraid of that in the first place?”
As we grow up and go through negative life experiences, we develop fears leading to negative thought patterns. Unless we face them bravely and get rid of them, they will always be there holding us back. One way to deal with fears is to ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen if I do this thing I am so afraid of?” Sometimes that alone will reduce or eliminate your fear. If not, take a piece of paper and write down all the bad things you think could happen.
Most of the things you will come up with will be exaggerated because your mind will overthink and dramatize everything.
Now go one step further and come up with an argument how all the negative things you wrote down may not happen but something positive will be the outcome instead. Let that sink in and accept it as a real possibility unless you have absolute proof that the outcome would not be positive. Just thinking that it wouldn't produce positive results doesn't count because these are just feelings and nothing tangible to go by. Try to believe as much in a positive result as you generally do in a negative one. Train your brain to accept positive thoughts and see what happens over time. If you usually think, "Why should I be so lucky to get this or that (insert what your goals / dreams are)?" replace that thought with "Why not me? I can make it happen." Then sit down and make a plan how to move forward. If anyone tries to discourage you, ignore the naysayer and do what you feel is right. Don't listen to negative people. If they think something isn't possible for them that's none of your business and doesn't mean that you can't do this.
Remember that you don’t drown by falling in the water but by staying there unless you’re a fish, of course.
If you don’t address your fears properly, they will always be there and limit your personal growth. Nothing will go away until you have learned from it and addressed it.
And here's another tip; when facing your fears don’t make assumptions. To avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama you have to communicate with others as clearly as possible. Ask questions and express what you really want because no one is a mind reader.
Acknowledge what is holding you back and embark on a path of positive thoughts and subsequent actions rather than dwelling on and staying in the negative zone. Yes, it might be uncomfortable in the beginning, but to get what you never had before, you must leave your comfort zone. That's how you grow. That's when your life becomes a daring adventure.
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
-Jim Rohn