The enemy is fear. We think it is hate, but it is fear – Gandhi
What is the special brand of fear that robs you of joy and expansive experiences in your life? Is it fear of flying? Spiders? Sharks? Public speaking? Making a wrong decision? Taking a risk? Pain? Ill health? Does the presence of global terrorism horrify you and feel like a dire threat to your safety?
Sometimes fear is real and sometimes it is made up of ‘what if’s’ that are not real at all. Big or small, real or imagined, fear is an inevitable part of life. The trick is to learn how to thrive in the midst of the daily doses of dread that can run your life.
Here are a few steps you can take to…
Overcome Your Fear
Identify your fear :
- What blocks you from fully engaging in your life?
Understand how your fear shows up:
- Is it the truck about to run you over in the street or the worry that a truck might run you over?
- Is it old non-specific warnings from your childhood? “Be careful” “Watch out” “Don’t trust anyone”?
- Does it come from embedded reactive thoughts from life experiences?
- Is it media-installed anxiety?
Take action:
- Breathe – try Alternate Nostril Breathing to help relaxation and provide balance to both sides of your brain.
- Book a breath session to help release fear’s cellular presence.
- Use Affirmations – “I am safe.” “Change is safe.” “I trust myself”.
- Turn off the TV and find a place in nature to ground and reconnect
- Meditate – Reach beyond things as they are and explore the boundless nature of your existence.
- Declare your home a “chaos free” zone. Clear the space. De-clutter and use calming essential oils to enhance a peaceful living environment.
Develop self-trust:
- Cultivate your courage. Learn to say ‘yes’ to everything. It builds your inner strength and confidence and downsizes the fear experiences.
- Let your desire for change outweigh the fear to remain as you are.
- See fear as an invitation to grow and stretch.
- Do what you say you will do and follow through on your promises to yourself. It builds your capability to act when you are in fear.
- Reach out to others – the antidote to fear is love and interdependence.
Fear is your teacher – learn the lesson and embrace the growth spurt!
There is no way you can go around fear. You need to go through it. Learn to meet each distressing situation with awareness. Consciously choose to become adept at moving into and out of fear with confidence and ease. It is the key to loosening it’s grip on your life.
