How To Defeat Fear

Fear lives in all humans. What we fear may differ, but there’s no doubt that we all must face fear at some point.

Have you learned how to act even though you’re afraid? Chances are, if you’ve achieved anything in life, then, yes. You have at some point acted in the presence of fear.

Experts say only fear of the dark and fear of falling are genetically encoded in humans. All the other fears are personally and individually created. Lovely thought, isn’t it?

Destructive Power

I can think of few things as destructive as fear. Just set out to achieve something amazing, and fear rears its ugly head. Some call it fear of success. Others label it fear of failure. Maybe it’s both. Who knows? All I know is that it’s the small voice inside your head that tells you you won’t succeed. A friend told me the voice sounds exactly like her mother. Now that’s sad, isn’t it?

Lesson Learned

Ask any writer or anyone who tries to create something where nothing existed before about fear. If they’re honest, they’ll tell you they fight fear on a daily basis. Fear of the blank page. Fear of not being able to tell the story well enough. Fear that a book won’t sell. Fear that readers won’t like it.

If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that fear can paralyze you if you focus on all those negative thoughts. If you want to achieve anything in life, you have to go forth and do battle every day. Fight the fear, whatever it may be, by acting in the presence of it.

Be Empowered

Acting in spite of the fear means you gain power over it. Every day you confront it and take action anyway is a day you are victorious. Have enough of those days, and, guess what? It gets easier.

When you cave to the fear, you give it power over you and lose all that you might otherwise gain. If you want to achieve something extraordinary, fight the good fight every day. Overcoming fear is as much a habit as it is anything.

Takeaway Truth

Stick it to fear and seize the power to create the life you want to live.