Overcoming Fear

Fear is something each one of us experiences, no matter how rich and powerful we are. A lot of us experience it daily. A lucky few of us rarely experience it. Fear prevents us from performing certain activities like speaking in public. Fear can cripple us into a corner. Have you experienced fear in the context of work lately? How did you deal with it? Did you feel the fear, and do it anyway? Or, did you let the fear get the better of you, pushing you backward instead of falling forward into the fear?

Here is an interesting aphorism: while the circumference of the earth is 25,000 miles, the hardest 9 inches of space to control is located between my ears. Has that been your experience? Fear can be very difficult to deal with; however, with the right frame of mind, using logic and reasoning skills, you can overcome fear and transmute it into excitement.

Here are some helpful tips on dealing with fear in your life:

Remind yourself of your past victories. Constantly remind yourself how good you are at a given task. What have you won lately? What successes have you enjoyed in the past 5 years? What past human fears have you successfully overcome? How did you do it? Suppose you were afraid to ride a rollercoaster at Six Flags in Dallas. One day, you simply waited in line; convinced yourself that it would be OK along with all the other people in line; were probably scared to death while dropping the first 150 feet and shooting straight up; and then the ride was over in 20 seconds. Suddenly, you thought, "Wow! That was exhilarating! Just amazing!" Then, what did you think? "I wanna ride that again!" Just like that, you turned your fear and anxiety into excitement and exhilaration! You remember that, right? Think about what other scenarios can you apply this to.

Another excellent way to overcome fear and worry in general is to start working-out. It can start with a simple discipline of walking a few times a week. Or, grab a friend and join a gym together. Tell each other you'll work-out together, and hold one another accountable to the act of working-out. If you work out together, you'll keep each other on task and accountable to your health goals. You can encourage one another! That's one of the pillars of 24-Hour Fitness's work-out regimen with their personal trainers: accountability. Not only can you do it, you can do it without a personal trainer. You'll find that once you begin and stick with the act of working-out for only a few weeks, you'll want to do it more and more. Your fear will erode. Your perspective on your day's events will change. Your personal perspective will become much more positive. Things won't be that big a deal to you. Minor office sparing will seem just that -- minor. You'll not only look healthier, you'll have much more positive, productive, and healthy thoughts as well!

I'll close with the notion of overcoming fear through dedicated service to others. If you completely dedicate yourself to genuinely helping others and forgetting about your own problems (as much as you can), your fear will dissolve. It will become as if you never had it. Many people need help, whether it's in technology, social services, food distribution, or some other human need. Be of service to others and you'll forget all about your fear.