Have no FEAR, when YOU are here

Fear keeps us in the background. It convinces us we can never accomplish our dreams, tells us to keep quiet, and separates us from the ones we love. Fear has an unparalleled ability to freeze us in our tracks, and limit what we are willing to try. Fear makes us lead a smaller life. All fears, no matter how big or small are worse when we face them alone. We tend to resist admitting our fears because we are afraid that people will think less of us, that they will laugh or make things worse. It’s good to get a friend or a close person to confide our fears in them.
Fear is not a bad thing. It exists for our protection as an early warning signal. But there is a big difference between the healthy fear that tells us to step away from the edge of a cliff and a constant fear that keeps us from living our life. Fear can be used as a tool to help us identify problems and solve them effectively. It’s a guidepost, a red flag that warns us when something needs attention. Once the discomfort of the initial wave of fear passes, one can examine it more closely to see what can learned from it. The same things we fear also incite feelings of exhilaration and even passion. That’s why people enjoy extreme sports, horror movies and swimming with sharks on vacation.
It’s easy to ignore or deny our fears, even to ourselves, in a society that stresses the importance of being strong and brave. But courage can’t come into play unless you have a fear to face down. By owning your feelings you’ve taken the first step toward gaining control over the situation.  There are no hero points awarded for going into a personally threatening situation though, but one must conquer their fears. However, if the threat is more mental than physical, actually doing the thing you’re afraid of can be the best antidote of all. Often times we’re afraid of something because we haven’t been exposed to it very much. “Fear of the unknown” is a commonly used phrase to describe the automatic aversion people feel to something that’s different. If you’re afraid of something because it’s a mystery, try exposing yourself to it in small doses until you gain a better understanding and your fear begins to dissipate. Sometimes confronting fears head-on is the best way to overcome them. This is particularly useful if there’s a particular person or situation you’re afraid of.
Don’t wait until your fear has been completely overcome to give yourself a pat on the back for your effort. Celebrate each milestone, whether you told a story to a group of people at a party, saw a spider and realized you didn’t want to run away, or took a trip to a different city by yourself for the first time. When you see how good it feels to gain an edge on your fear, you’ll be ready to face the next one head-on.

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