What is Your Biggest Fear?

Are you in need of a pep talk?  Are you searching for ways to overcome your fears? 

You are Not Alone

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I am a voracious reader of books that focus on successful people and reaching your dreams; each book stresses that everyone, no matter how successful or inexperienced you are, everyone still feels some level of fear every step of their journey.  It is to be expected, anticipated and planned for.  Do not think that just because you are a certain age, have a particular level of education, etc, that fear will somehow not be a part of your life. 

Fear shows up for a reason, it has a particular, important function.  It keeps you on your toes and increases your levels of awareness so that you do not miss out on anything.  It sharpens your focus so that you take in as much information regarding a new situation as possible.  If you look at fear in a new light, you will see that it appears naturally for your protection and success!  

Challenge comes into play when a person has dealt with "out of the norm" situations that have increased the typical fear response in any given situation.  For example, if you have been robbed, you may suddenly feel more jumpy around unfamiliar noises or events that remind you of the event.  This may take some time to get through to be able to experience "normalcy" in your life again.  If you are currently struggling with such fears, you can overcome them stronger and wiser than ever before.

How Does One Go About Doing This?

The best way to alleviate feeling immobilized by fear is to think about fear in new ways.  For example, when you go to the grocery store, you know that every time you go, you will not have the same experience twice.  You may hit more traffic lights along the way, you might run into a friendlier cashier, and you might come face to face with incredible sales.  But then again, you might accidentally lock your keys in your car, forget your credit card, and run a red light.  You get the picture.  It is the same activity, but there can always be a million different outcomes. 

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This is the Same Way Life Unfolds

And, because this will always be true, in order to overcome your fears it's important to begin with the basics of life; the things you do well already and ask yourself, for example, how do you manage to function effectively in day-to-day tasks such as shopping?  You do so by acquainting yourself with the streets so that you don't have to think twice about where you are going.  You write a grocery list so that shopping is completed with greater ease.  You double check that you have put your keys in your purse or in your pocket before you lock and close your door, and so forth.   

It might have taken a little bit of time to figure out the best route to the grocery store, where all the items and aisles were, etc., but eventually you figured it all out allowing you to have a smooth, satisfying shopping experience.  With all these things figured out, your mind was now freed of its burden and could think freely about other things. 

Now, apply these simple concepts to beginning any new endeavor in your life.  There will be a transition period where everything is entirely new and you will need to keep your attention focused so that you don't get lost and are able to notice things that will help you complete your goal as seamlessly as possible. 

Once you have your routine down, take into account that there will be days that you might forget something, not be at your highest energy levels, etc; choose to see these moments as great learning lessons.  They are a part of your life because they are signs alerting you to invaluable things you still need to learn.  Look at these previously thought "setbacks" as "gifts" and "free" lessons that will only function to improve your life.  Remember getting something for nothing and instant gratification feels great in the moment, but does very little for long term life satisfaction. 

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"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Every step counts, whether you are sprinting toward your dreams or taking slow measured steps, as long as you are consistently moving forward, you will be sure to reach and exceed every single one you set!