Fear: Killer of Hopes and Dreams

Fear: That terrifying feeling that grips your entire being into paralyzing inaction. A state of being that prevents us from living a full and complete life where our dreams are possible and life is full of beauty and wonder. Fear of living is not living at all. It is death while breathing, but not completely... It is the inability to see your potential, realize it and make It happen. It is utter agony to be in such a state of inaction where your thoughts control your motivation and next steps.

We have all been gripped by fear, whether it is because we are terrified of flying, or speaking in public or being in uncomfortable situations with other people. What and how do we get out of this state? How do we control our thoughts when we are fearful?

It is natural and normal to fear an alligator or jumping out of a plane at high altitudes. These natural fears keep us safe from harm. But what if these irrational fears were embedded in our minds to prevent us from doing things in our lives that will bring us pure joy, happiness, health, etc? Why would we want to live a life in a state of panic, always worried about what will happen if we do something that terrifies us?

Do you have a dream that you’ve always wanted? What is stopping you from reaching that dream? Do you overanalyze and tell yourself that it’s completely impossible and instead dream of these things without taking action because you are afraid of failure? I know this feeling all too well because I deal with fear of failure on a daily basis. It has kept me from going after things I really want in my life.

I have agonized over a situation in the past that I refused to face and it has recently come up again and I am in a state of panic and “fear” is keeping from pushing through it and facing it head on. What do I have to lose by confronting it and working through it? If I never deal with it it will always be in the back of my mind, preventing me from moving forward. It is natural to fear the “what if” of goal or a dream or anything that you are currently dealing with. Your thoughts control your action. Your mind is a powerful weapon against this enemy. If every single person in the world let fear stop them we would not be able to experience the thrill of riding a roller-coaster, walking to the top of a skyscraper, seeing an action film, flying in a plane, or living in a high-rise building. These are all examples of a lot of people pushing their fears to make something big happen. Letting your fear win will not help you live the life that is possible.

How has fear controlled your own life? In order to find out why fear is so paralyzing we must analyze the why’s of our fears. Next to the fear that you have, write down the steps you will take to deal with it, and what it would mean to you when you overcome it. It is easier said than done to simply write this post on overcoming fears when I myself have a lot of them to face, but I come from a background of understanding and empathy. We are all human and can understand how it affects each of our lives in different ways.

I want to face my own fears and live a more beautiful life with love, joy, health, a career I am passionate about and share my story of overcoming so that maybe someone else will do the same. Our shared experiences are vital to the human connection. When we realize that no one is perfect we began to see others in a more beautiful light. Our experiences in our life can make us bitter or make us better. I can use my own fears to help others realize that you don’t have to live this way.

What if fear was the catalyst that propelled our dreams forward? Instead of being afraid we were excited about talking to someone about something important to our hearts but is not an easy conversation to have? What if you took that test that you’ve been avoiding your whole life and it changed everything? Our dreams and our fears are one in the same. When you are fearful you are not embracing the excitement that comes with that fear. If you have a fear of roller-coasters, what If you were able to tell yourself your were excited before you went on it to change your thoughts?

You do not have to go out and walk out on a highwire in front millions like the Flying Wallendas, or jump out of a plane or become an action star. It is not about living dangerously. It is about realizing that you can overcome anything if you want to. I am still learning that my past is my past and that it has no bearing on who I can be. My fears are not stronger than the possible so today go out and face one fear. It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to move you past it.

Let me know how you have beat fear and how you are still beating fear right now.