Overcoming Fear

Fear is something each one of us experiences. Some 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 one of my favorite aphorisms: while the circumference of the earth is 25,000 miles, the hardest 6 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 or simply transmute it into excitement.

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

Remind yourself of your past victories. What have you won lately? What successes have you enjoyed in the past 5 years? What human fears have you successfully overcome? How did you do it? Suppose you were afraid to ride a roller coaster 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?

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. The good news is, 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, you’ll want to do it more and more. Your fear will erode. Your perspective on your day’s events will change. 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 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, 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.