Fear is a powerful emotion that can stop you from reaching your goals, pursuing your visions, and living your dreams.
How to Outsmart Fear:
Fear is not only powerful, it’s also sneaky. Disguised as a voice in your head or a sensation in your body, it might show up as an argument you have with yourself, a tingling sensation at the bottom of your spine, sweaty palms, shortage of breath, or an overall nervousness.
I am NOT talking about the fear that is present when you are in actual danger. In that case, fear is extremely valuable and shouldn’t be ignored.
What I am talking about is the fear that you create for yourself. Nobody is tying you to a chair to keep you from reaching your dreams. There is no real threat to your life; however, we act as if there were. We back away, find excuses, and don’t move forward.
If you let mental fear take hold of your life, it will keep you from accomplishing the things that are essential to your happiness.
One of the most effective ways to outsmart fear is to stop thinking and to start acting.
Since most of our fears only exist in our mind, getting into action is an effective way of sidestepping them. When you engage in productive activities, fear fades into the background.
What if you know this simple fact and are still paralyzed by fear? Here are two simple steps that can help you:
1. Take the Right Action.
Take action steps that bring you alive and light you up. Set goals and make plans that are fun, exciting, energizing, and enjoyable.
Warning: Fear often increases with goals and activities that resonate with your true purpose and hidden talents. Be aware of this fact and don’t be fooled into thinking that you should stop. Getting nervous before you deliver a speech or wanting to back out of a big commitment is completely normal. It doesn’t mean you are on the wrong path.
2. Take Small Steps.
There is a right time for everything. Dreaming up your vision is the first step in designing a life that you love. When it comes to taking action, creating your ideal life can feel overwhelming and scary. To diminish your level of fear it’s helpful to break goals down into small, manageable steps. This will help you to enjoy the journey without getting bogged down by the enormity of your overall vision.
Now it’s your turn: how do you deal with fear? Do you have proven ways to get past it? Please share with us in the comments below.
Questions? Send me an email; I always love to hear from you.
If you are unclear about your path in life and want to find action steps that light your fire, download a free chapter of my book ALIVE: A Practical Guide to Get Out of Your Head and into Your Heart. It will give you tools to find your passion and live your dream.
As always, thank you for reading,
Karin
Photo Credit: Death to the Stock Photo
