Face Your Fears

I was recently chatting with friends and the conversation, for some reason or another, turned to the subject of fear.

A question was posed: What are we most afraid of?

There was an icy silence. No one really wanted to admit their deepest, darkest fears. To do so would be like letting loose a raging bull. It definitely seemed to be a taboo area, and the conversation quickly moved on to something else.

But it got me thinking. Why do we generally try to suppress our fears? Is it because by voicing our fears we think we may be ridiculed or are we worried that we will be perceived as being weak?

Everyone has something that they are either a little bit afraid of or are totally freaked out by.

Fear is, after all, a natural instinctive response.

But, it's how we react to fear ... as well as the 'thing' we fear ... that can make a difference between being held hostage to fear and being free.

Fear holds us back. It can stop us from reaching our full potential.

So, it's important to face our fears ... to acknowledge our response and analyse what has created the fear.

Doing so enables us to stand back and look at this fearsome thing as if from a distance. Often, we quickly realize that what we fear has no real impact at all. It isn't the great big frightening threat that we thought it was.

Facing your fears enables you to change how you think and feel.

By changing your response, fear no longer has you in its control.

So, take a look inside ... what do you fear? What's holding you back?

Acknowledge what you fear ... change your response ... then let go.

Have a fearless day!

[From Face Your Fears]