FIGHT YOUR FEARS

Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

All of us struggle with fear and worry from time to time. In fact, in many cases, fear is actually a good and healthy thing. It causes us to wear seatbelts and try to eat healthy. It keeps us from doing things that will hurt us, like getting too close to a fire or jumping into a lion’s cage at the zoo.

It’s also natural to be concerned about our health, bank account, job status, children, and more. When something threatens one of those things, we take notice. We work hard to protect ourselves and those we love.

In some ways, fear is both a natural and helpful part of what it means to be human.

But if fear gets out of control, it can take over and prevent us from enjoying life. When we’re consumed by fear, we can’t be present for others or do the things we love. Overwhelming fear affects our health, saps our strength, makes it difficult to concentrate, and robs us of sleep.

It also keeps us from taking any risks. If we’re afraid, we won’t start new businesses, write books, or initiate relationships. We’ll constantly play it safe, always trying to insulate ourselves from any negative consequences. When we play it safe, we don’t grow. We stagnate. We miss out on great opportunities.

We can’t run from fear or simply hope it goes away. There will always be something to worry about. If we’re going to successfully navigate the often-difficult world in which we live, we need effective strategies for coping with worry and fear. We must be able to deal with our anxieties in healthy and productive ways.

Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And while this isn’t 100% true (there are real things to fear), his point is well made. Fear holds us back from living life to the fullest. We must learn how to overcome our fears, so we can move toward the things we desire.