Dare to live without limits Week of 9/23/19

Fear does not have to be a roadblock

Fear stops many people from following their desired path. Although fear feels like an externally imposed limitation, your fears are your own internal creation. As such, you have the power to conquer any, and all of your fears.
Everyone has grown up with one or more fears. Fear of failure, fear of spiders, fear of heights, fear of flying, fear of public speaking, fear of rejection, fear of snakes, and fear of the unknown are just some examples. Fear becomes so engrained it develops into an automatic reaction. Your fears then lead to excuses for why you can’t, or won’t do something.
Fear acts as a magnifier which blows challenges out of proportion. As you become convinced that you can’t do something, you construct what you believe is an impenetrable roadblock, which limits your life. Living with constant fear is exhausting.
Your body also responds to fear physically. A faster heart rate, elevated blood pressure, eating disorders, sleep disorders, and headaches are a few illustrations of the physical reactions to fear. Fear impedes accomplishments, causes stress, and impacts your physical well being. Overcoming fear is well worth the effort.
Think of fear as standing for False Evidence Appearing Real. This means that your perception of fear creates your reality of fear. There are endless examples of people successfully accomplishing whatever it is you are afraid of. This proves that your fears are conquerable.
Avoidance is not an effective strategy for dealing with fear. Avoidance leads to a sense of failure, since it causes your fear to become more engrained. Your fear becomes more intense. You become markedly more frustrated because you are not doing anything positive to get past your fear.
Facing your fear is uncomfortable, but necessary. In order to vanquish a fear you must first identify it. Simply saying, “I’m just afraid,” is pointless. What exactly are you afraid of and why? Answering these two questions are the first steps to overcoming a fear. Once you have done this, you can then formulate an effective strategy to beat your fear.
The most effective way to defeat fear is by doing what you are afraid to do. It’s not easy, but it works. It provides you with a tangible sense of accomplishment. This is an amazing confidence boosting step. It dispels your fear through action. You prove to yourself that you can do whatever you have been afraid to do.
Taking small steps when doing what you are afraid to do builds confidence. With each successful step forward, you realize the next step is doable. One step after another is how significant progress is made.
You may not like the actions you take, or feel comfortable with them. But each step forward dissolves your fear. You clearly see that you can do what you have been afraid of without any of the dire consequences you feared occurring.
Imagining a fear free life provides additional motivation. Wouldn’t it be great to eliminate all of the stress and anxiety caused by your fear? How much happier would you be once your fears have been shed?
You only fail when you give up. Fear leads to your giving up. Overcoming your fears opens up new horizons that you never realized were possible. It’s well worth the effort required to break through your fears.
Make a commitment to start today taking at least one step to overcome just one fear. It doesn’t matter how small the step is. Making any progress is more significant than you realize.

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.  2019 Bryan Golden