LifeSMART: Overcome Fear

What are you afraid of? Are your worries preventing you from getting things accomplished in your life?

Everyone has fears and many let those fears stop them from doing things that may prove to be worthwhile or even lucrative.

How can you turn your fear into a positive force in your life?

Sometimes our fears can drive us to do great things and achieve massive success. Once you learn to conquer your fears, you can move past them. The strength you gain from conquering them can provide the momentum that drives you to future success.

Often, the only way to get over a fear is to confront it head on. If you have a fear of failure about a certain task, then the only thing to do is take it on and beat it. For instance, I have a paralyzing fear of speaking in public, so I take every opportunity I can to speak in front of groups.

Feeling the fear and doing it anyway, has tremendous benefit to you.

1) The more you engage in the activity, the more comfortable you will become. "Comfortable" isn't a place where you start, it's where you end up after many attempts.

2) If you succeed, you'll be encouraged to face another fear. Once you experience success, it fuels your desire to experience it again, so set your sights on the your next goal.

If you fail to conquer your fear the first time, regroup and try again. Each time you try, you'll learn something new that you can use the next time around.

Here are three effective strategies that build confidence that will fuel your goal to overcome your fear:

1. Exercise. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that help promote a feel-good mood. When you're in this mood, you have more confidence and are more apt to undertake challenges.

2. Set goals. Take some time to set some specific, short term, and simple goals. The more you can complete, the more self-confidence you'll build. Self-confidence is a powerful tool for removing fear.

3. Talk about it. Fears can multiply when you bottle them up inside you. Talking about your fears to your close friends helps diffuse them and gives honest feedback, putting your fears in perspective.

Worries Are Fears, Too!

Let go of the habit of worry. Worry is a useless emotion and doesn't help you move beyond rational fear. Why? Worry always falls into one of two categories:

1. Things you can't control. If you have no control over the outcome of a situation, why worry about it? You can't change or control other people. What will happen, will happen.

•Worrying won't make a difference at all in the situation. It will only add to your fears and prevent you from taking care of the things you can control.

2. Things you can control. If you can control the situation you are concerned about, then it's simple: take action! If you're doing everything you can, then you no longer have any need to worry.

•Worry slows you down, makes you second guess yourself, and could even lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.

In the end, facing your fears head on will give you more self-confidence, provide valuable experience, and make you stronger. You don't have to be a slave to your fears. You can face your fears valiantly and triumphantly!