Self Improvement Digest

Have you ever met someone who seemed to be fearless and wondered how that was possible? Sure, there are a few brave and fearless ones, but the majority of us definitely experience fear.

Sometimes we are afraid of failure, of not looking good, or of saying the wrong things. Sometimes, even when we can sell ourselves out of a paper bag, we fear that someone will discover that we are not as bright as we appear. The truth is that most people experience fear every day, yet have different ways of coping with it.

A friend of mine recently said, "I look at you and see a brave woman. Someone who is never afraid."

Not trying to be mean, I had to laugh, but only because it couldn't have been further from the truth. I would have loved to have said, "Fear? Why, I laugh in the face of fear!" But I would have been lying.

While I was flattered by his impression of me, I was clear that this wasn't what was going on inside of my head. Surely there were times I plunged forward confidently, but it was not due to a lack of fear. Why it appeared that way, though, was simply because of the what I did once the fear occurred for me.

When the little voice in your head says, "I'm too afraid to do it," you usually stop right there, right? It isn't the fear that has stopped you, though. The fear is merely an emotion and what you chose to do with it, is what stopped you. Fear, is simply a way to avoid something uncomfortable.

What if fear didn't control your actions? How would that change what you did next? What if you could envision fear as something different than you have known it to be all of your life? What if you could just see it as an emotion, no different than being happy or sad? If you could do that, then perhaps you could choose to act differently.

There are other choices you can make when faced with fear:

1- Acknowledge the fear as a legitimate emotion. Okay, so I'm afraid. So what?

2- Ask yourself if the fear is based on actual harm coming to you. If so, you may want to reconsider whether it is a good idea or not.

3- Ask yourself: What is the worst thing that can happen?

4- Rename your fear. Maybe it isn't fear at all, but energy going through your body to make you even stronger. Make it up, but make it good!

5- Picture your fear as a positive surge of energy.

It's healthy to feel afraid, so go ahead and feel it, but instead of letting it stop you, let it move you forward by repeating these words: In the face of fear...I will be courageous. Then go do whatever it is you're afraid of...with courage!