How to Overcome Fear &
Find Courage

Everyone has fear. Some of us are just more in contact with it then others. Some of us are suffering from it more then others. But we all have it and we all know how it feels like. Some of us have this inner knowing on how to overcome fear. The feeling of fear is a vital emotion and in it's raw essence can protect us and even safe our life. When our existence is threatened or in danger, fear kicks in to push a certain amount of stress hormones into the body so we can accurately respond to the situation.

There are many ways on how to overcome fear, but the common denominator is the ability to find courage. Courage might not be what you think it is in the face of how to overcome fear.

What is Fear?

Fear is a strong and powerful emotion that can move us in 2 directions:

  1. We can let fears create boundaries beyond which we can't move or grow

  2. We can decide to find out how to overcome fear and face our fears head on and thus allow them to become opportunities to expand our life

Fear is often found at the root of other negative behaviors we have like anger, jealousy, lying, manipulation etc.That is why it is so important to get to know your fears, become intimate with your fears and know how to overcome fear.

There is an incredible array of fears that can influence us in many subtle and deceptive ways. So much so that we often don’t even recognize their existence. Besides, even if we do recognize their presence, it does not necessarily mean that we will have the courage to break through those fears and take action.

Sometimes, we knowingly allow fear to stand between us and our dreams. Sadly, if we do that long enough, chances are, we will eventually abandon our dreams and rationalize our choice with logical sounding excuses.

This does not need to happen to you. You don’t have to allow fear to hinder your actions and destroy your dreams! With a simple shift in perspective, you can learn to transform that fear energy into excitement and use that positive energy to your advantage. That is one way to overcome fear.

Courage is a choice

Skills and Tools on how to overcome fear

• EMBRACE IT
  

Put the fear right in front of you. Look at it, step into it, feel it as much as you can...let it get as big as you can. Stay with it as long as you can and when the fear is at it biggest, then look at it, observe it, can you see yourself as separate from the fear? Can you see what is underneath the fear, behind the fear? Notice as you are doing this that through your awareness the fear starts loosing its hold on you.

• TRANSFORM IT
  

Whenever the feeling of fear arises and slows you down, stops you, freezes you, pick up a towel and scream into the towel, right through the fear. This is a powerful way to transform the fear energy into an energy of excitement. I believe this to be the most powerful tool on how to overcome fear.

• CHANGE IT
  

Learning to shift our focus away from what we stand to lose, and toward what we stand to gain, will completely change our perception of the situation. This simple shift can quickly leave us feeling more courageous and eager to take action! Many people are in the habit of seeing the negative side of any challenging situation. If we focus more on how big the challenge seems, instead of the potential benefits, we will resist taking action because all we can see is the potential, negative risks involved. The more we focus on the possibility of loss the more fear we create. With this kind of mindset, wanting to move forward toward our dreams probably won’t provide enough incentive to overcome these fears. As a result, we will continuously hold ourselves back and end up accomplishing far less than we are capable of.

• LIST IT

You may find it helpful to make a list of any specific fears you have and get them out in the open. In each situation that leaves you feeling hesitant or fearful, try to evaluate exactly what is holding you back. What is it that you are afraid will happen and why? Are those things really likely to occur, or is there only a slight chance?

Then use a separate sheet of paper and create a list of the benefits you stand to gain by moving forward. Be as specific and optimistic as you can. Remember that dread and fear will amplify your perception of the negative possibilities, which can make the positive benefits seem significantly smaller or less important. So, you may need to work a little harder at emphasizing the positive.

• ACT UPON IT
  

If you do decide that the time to take action is now, you may still need to work at building up your courage a bit before you act. Creating a well thought out plan of action will go a long way in this area. Remember, the only person with the power to hold you back, or move you forward, is YOU. At its core, courage is largely the determination to conquer any fear, hesitation or excuse that attempts to separate you from your dreams.

Whatever you do, don’t try to convince yourself into believing that you have to be completely fearless before moving toward your goals! The most successful people in the world would openly confess that they eventually had to be resolved to move forward despite their fears and feelings of uncertainty!

Courage is absolutely a choice, and fear does not have the power to rob you of your dreams, motivation, and strength unless you decide to let it.

Meditation is a powerful way to overcome fear. I invite you to read Ian's article on How to overcome fear through meditation.

Quotes and inspiration on Fear

• The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
•  Fear is an acronym in the English language for
  ‘False Evidence Appearing Real.’ ~ Neale Donald Walsch
• Thinking will not overcome fear but action will. ~ W. Clement Stone
• The fears you don’t face control you. The fears you face, you move beyond. ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.  ~ Ambrose Redmoon

More Quotes on Fear here.

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