Every one of us has fears and the way you respond to those fears can be your game changer.
Typically, when we are scared of something we avoid it at all costs. Which makes sense right? If you never have to face your fears you can pretend they’re not there. But what if your tactic of avoidance is limiting your growth as a person, entrepreneur, and socially. Today we are going look at what is fear, and explore different ways of coping.
What is fear? Fear is simply an unpleasant feeling or emotion that we experience based on a certain belief we have about a situation or maybe another person. There are different types of fears; the fear of failing, fear of rejection, and fear of a potential threat. A starting point for overcoming your fear is to follow the thought. For instance, if you fear that your new business would fail, ask yourself, “and then what?” Keep asking yourself, “and then what?” until you have reached the end.
For example: Fear of failing if you open your own business
and then what…I would lose all my money and put my family at financial risk.
and then what…I would get another job and we would cut back spending.
and then what…I would slowly rebuild our net worth.
and then what…Well, that’s about it.
Obviously, each response to your probing could be analyzed as well, but you get the point.
Next, you want to comb through the responses to see how real each fear is. If you have a response that says, “I will fail and never get up again.” Well how true is that? If you let that sit in your mind it could continue to paralyze you, but if you fact check and see if there is any validity to that thought you could potentially release it.
There are always going to be unknowns and yes that can be scary; however, if you know yourself, your capabilities, and your own resources you can run through the scenarios, fact check, and then move on. It is okay to examine the worst case scenario but don’t dwell there. There is just as much of a chance that you could succeed, as you could fail.
Limit your “what ifs.” I have found that we could “what if” ourselves to death. This coping mechanism serves a purpose to protect us. It basically keeps us from moving in any direction. It is true that our minds are very powerful. So powerful that if left to it’s own devices can be detrimental to our happiness. Don’t let your mind take off on a “what if” journey without a map. You want to guide the “what ifs” to real scenarios and put a limit on how many you will examine.
Let’s do it differently today. Let’s be like those entrepreneurs that stick their necks out, or go on a trip you have dreamed about since you were a child, or conquer your fear of speaking in public. Just remember that fears remain powerful only until we shine a light on them. Don’t be scared in the dark with your thoughts, examine, fact check, and move on.