Fear is Both Foe And Friend: 5 Ways to Harness Fear Right Now
Fear is a tricky human emotion. It can paralyze you. It can keep you from your dreams. It can keep you small.
It can also keep you safe.
Fear can be your friend in just the right doses, but too much of it can kill you.
Hence, fear is actually good for you. It is in our brain and biology to keep us safe from real danger. Fear is also our compass directing us forward. When we embrace fear and use it fuel it allows us to move forward through uncertainty where we can truly grow.
Fear can also be your greatest positive motivator. Sound crazy? It’s not. Obviously, there are fears in our lives that stem from valid, dangerous origins — these are the fears that help keep us safe.
For instance, we may fear walking down a dark alley at night. Situations such as these can lead to some pretty dire outcomes. While the probability may be fairly low of anything occurring in that alley, this fear is a valid means of self-preservation.
On the other side of the spectrum are the irrational fears that can limit us in our daily lives and prevent us from reaching our potential. For instance, avoiding public speaking at all costs can, well, be costly. If the ability to speak to a group would allow you to advance up the career ladder, wouldn’t it be worth the short period of discomfort?
Here are 5 simple ways to conquer the fears so that you can keep moving forward:
- Recognize It — In order to deal with your fears you have to be willing to recognize what they are. Write them down…
- Own It –Be willing to admit to yourself what your fears are… No excuses, no rationalization…
- Plan It Out — If you are going to make a conscious effort to deal with your fears in an effort to overcome them, it can help to have a plan.
- Visualize Success — There has long been belief that visualization is a powerful technique for finding success
- Force Yourself to Do It — Sometimes the anticipation of something is far worse than actually doing the thing that is worrying you.
Your challenge this month is to face one of your fears that limits you in your life and move through it. Choose something as simple as calling a loved one or friend you’ve had a falling-out with. The more small fears you face down, the greater your freedom in your daily life you’ll begin to experience!
Don’t hide from your fears — face them head-on and reap the rewards!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Devin C. Hughes is a highly sought after international speaker, author, diversity & inclusion muse, mindfulness trainer & leadership coach who works with a variety of leaders, groups, organizations, and teams who have a desire to break down enterprise-wide cultural barriers, improve personal/organizational performance and enhance communication through greater self awareness and understanding of one another. He is the author of 17 books and his approach draws from the science of positive psychology, positive organizational research, appreciative inquiry, neuroscience, mindset and mindfulness.
THE ARTICLE IS INFORMATIONAL AND NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, OR TREAT AND OR REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF PAHS OR DISTRICT. THE ARTICLE REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR.