Is Fear All That Bad?

Boldly Face Your Fears

By Doing What You Fear Most

Some psychologists suggest that we should embrace our fears and use them to our advantage. Many suggest that we must first learn how to shift our mindset and recognize our fears and realize that they actually have benefits, like motivating us to stay on our toes, fully alert, focused and ready to perform. Obviously too much of anything isn’t a good thing but we should remember that fear helps us to bring our A-game and helps to keep our minds sharp. I’ve heard that when you recognize fear, you should take several deep cleansing breaths (without passing out of course), pause and try to understand where you are physically. Actually feeling the fear, which is typically a sick stomach, tightness in a specific area etc. and really embracing the physical sensations. Next we are to try and understand how this feeling is preparing your body to perform well.

I believe some fear is actually a good thing, as long as it rational. But unless you’re dealing with a real emergency, I believe most of our business fears are irrational. Have you ever heard the acronym for fear being False Evidence Appearing Real?  Zig Ziglar claims F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.

I sometimes try to take steps to help control my fears by actually DOING WHAT I FEAR MOST. No, this is not easy, and yes it is scary, however the results can be astounding. I know, this sounds like horrible advice, and I’m certainly not a psychologist but give it a try (baby steps initially) and judge for yourself.

Try and remember that we often blow things way out of proportion (for a variety of reasons) in our minds. You may have also heard the saying that “your mind is like a parachute, it only works when it’s open”.

Keep an open mind and take small, continual steps towards your improvement in getting past some of your false evidence that is only appearing real.