Fortunately, all fears are learned; no one is born with fears. Fears
can therefore be unlearned by practicing self discipline repeatedly with
regard to fear until it goes away.
The most common fears that we experience, which often sabotage all hope for success, are the fears of failure, poverty, and loss of money.
These fears cause people to avoid risk of any kind and to reject
opportunity when it is presented to them. They are so afraid of failure
that they are almost paralyzed when it comes to taking any chances at
all.
There are many other fears that interfere with our happiness. as
well. People fear the loss of love or the loss of their jobs and their
financial security. People fear embarrassment or ridicule. People fear
rejection and criticism of any kind. People fear the loss of respect or
esteem of others. These and many other fears hold us back throughout
life.
Fear Paralyzes Action
The most common reaction in a fear situation is the attitude of, “I
can’t!” This is the fear of failure and loss that stops us from taking
action. It is experienced physically, starting in the solar plexus. When
people are really afraid, their mouth and throat go dry, their heart
starts pounding. Sometimes they breathe shallowly and their stomach
churns. Often they feel like getting up and running to the bathroom.
These are all physical manifestations of the inhibitive negative
habit pattern, which we all experience from time to time. Whenever a
person is in the grip of fear, he feels like a deer caught in the
headlights of a car. This fear paralyzes action. It often shuts down the
brain and causes the individual to revert to the “fight-or-flight”
reaction. Fear is a terrible emotion that undermines our happiness and
can hold us back throughout our lives.
Visualize Yourself as Unafraid
By visualizing yourself performing with confidence and competence in
an area where you are fearful, your visual image will eventually be
accepted by your subconscious mind as instructions
for your performance. Yourself image, the way you see yourself and
think about yourself, is eventually altered by feeding your mind these
positive mental pictures of yourself performing at your best.
By using the “act as if” method, you walk, talk, and carry yourself exactly as you would if you were completely unafraid
in a particular situation. You stand up straight, smile, move quickly
and confidently, and in every respect act as if you already had the
courage that you desire.
The Law of Reversibility says that “if you feel a certain way, you
will act in a manner consistent with that feeling.” But if you act in a
manner consistent with that feeling, even if you don’t feel it, the Law
of Reversibility will create the feeling that is consistent with your
actions.
This is one of the greatest breakthroughs in success psychology. You develop
the courage you desire by disciplining yourself repeatedly to do the
thing you fear until that fear eventually disappears—and it will.
Confront Your Fears
Your ability to confront, deal with, and act in spite of your fears
is the key to happiness and success. One of the best exercises you can
practice is to identify a person or situation in your life of which you
are afraid and resolve to deal with that fear situation immediately. Do
not allow it to make you unhappy for another minute. Resolve to confront
the situation or person and put the fear behind you.
Move Toward the Fear
When you identify a fear and discipline yourself to move toward it,
it grows smaller and more manageable. What’s more, as your fears grow
smaller, your confidence grows. Soon, your fears lose their control
over you.
In contrast, when you back away from a fear-inducing situation or person, your fear grows larger and larger. Soon it dominates your thinking and feeling, preoccupies you during the day, and often keeps you awake at night.
Deal With the Fear Directly
The only way to deal with a fear is to address it head-on. Remind
yourself that “denial” is not a river in Egypt. The natural tendency of
many people is to deny that they have a problem caused by fear of some
kind. They’re afraid of confronting it. In turn, it becomes a major
source of stress, unhappiness, and psychosomatic illness.
Be willing to deal with the situation or person directly. As
Shakespeare said, “Take arms against a sea of troubles, and in so doing,
end them.”
When you force yourself to face any fear-inducing situation in your
life, your self-esteem goes up, your self-respect increases, and your
sense of personal pride grows. You eventually reach the point in life
where you are not afraid of anything.
Important Note From Erin, Editor of SKA Ocean Blogging
If you have any burning questions for Brian about fear you should join our 2013 Power Of Fear Summit to ask him personally on our live Q/A at the end of the video online session. If you’d like to talk to Brian and 11 other world class experts like Les Brown, Rhonda Britten and Greg Reid, then please register asap – it’s filling up fast (we’re excited!)
About the Author:
Brian Tracy is one of America’s most respected authorities on
developing organizational and human potential. He is the top selling
author of over 50 books that have been translated into dozens of
languages. His insights in to leadership, personal effectiveness,
business strategy, and success psychology, which he presents to more
than half a million people around the world each year in his talks and
seminars, produce immediate changes and long-term results. His
experience, combined with his effective ability to inform, entertain,
inspire and motivate audiences, makes him one of the top speakers and
trainers in the world today.
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