Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Living
Fear is supposed to keep us alive, not keep us from living.
Thousands of years ago, fear kept us alive because we had to be alert. We had to be alert for dangers that could potentially kill us. Fear kept us on the move from predators, it kept us away from cliffs, and it kept our senses sharp.
Today, most of those dangers have been neutralized, but more things have taken their place. In modern society in an ever-growing world, there is always something new to be afraid of.
Being afraid is not a bad thing. It’s your barometer going off, giving you feedback about your surroundings.
The problem here is not everything is a real danger. Public speaking is one of the number one fears among people, but the act of public speaking has never killed anyone.
Fear tends to paralyze us. It can induce panic attacks and make us anxious, but what if we didn’t give it the power?
You can be afraid of something and still stand up to it.
Allow yourself the fear, and then be practical. Try and respond logically. Is this really going to harm me? What’s the worst possible thing that could happen?
When I first started my job, I was terrified I would get fired. I imagined being yelled at and berated. I thought for sure I would make a mistake and I would be screamed out and promptly fired. I kept my head down and did my work as best as I could, but I still made mistakes. No matter how hard I tried, it was inevitable.
And when I made a mistake, my boss always pointed it out kindly and explained what to do instead next time. It was not at all what I expected.
My fear of being fired was valid. It was and still is, a possibility, but if I let that get in the way of doing my job, then I failed myself.
Learning to act despite fear is not an easy thing to do by any means. It is, however, a valuable life skill to be able to forge ahead in the face of perceived danger.
Final Thoughts
Fear is supposed to keep us alive, not keep us from living. It’s an evolutionary trend that’s kept us alive. But too often now, it holds us back.
It’s not like you’re standing up to a wild bear that will maul you, even if it may feel that way. Nothing is as scary as it appears. All you have to do is face your fears.
Don’t let fear be in the driver’s seat of life. Take back control of it and go for one hell of a ride.
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