“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you wanted to achieve a goal, then had the thought : I am not intelligent enough to achieve it…What if I try and fail…..I do not want to make a fool of myself….I do not want to embarrass myself ….Other people can do it better.
You begin to doubt yourself. Thereafter you begin to make excuses as to why you have not achieved it (I am too busy, I do not have the time, I have to be realistic, and no one has ever done it). Soon you begin to procrastinate and finally you remove it from your to-do list.
So what was stopping you from taking action?
Behind all the excuses and rationalization is a simple human emotion called fear, this emotion has sent many people to the grave without realizing their full potential, and it robbed them of their dreams.
Remember in life no one can holding you back from getting the life you want. If you are not taking action then a part of you is afraid that it might not work out.
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” Les Brown
A story
Two seeds lay side by side in the fertile soil. The first seed said, “I want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth’s crust above me … I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring … I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!” And so she grew…
The second seed said, “Hmmmm. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don’t know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above me I may damage my delicate sprouts… what if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground. No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe.”And so she waited…A yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ate it.
Moral of the story:
Fears keep us in our comfort zone, they keep us small and prevent us from growing to our potential, soon the world around us changes then we are left with no option; either we are forced to change or change overtakes us (we become extinct).
Overcoming fear
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to face your fears and overcome them.
FEAR exists only in the subconscious mind, therefore when overcoming fear you can use the below tips.
“Waiting to develop courage is just another form of procrastination. The most successful people take action while they’re afraid!” ~ Unknown
F – Focus – when you think of that particular goal, write down the first thing that comes to your mind.
“People aren’t afraid of heights, but they’re afraid of falling.
People aren’t afraid of swimming, but they’re afraid of drowning.”
Shift your focus from internal (what you have or do not have) to external (what you would like to do, how you can serve others, the benefits people would obtain). Always focus on a positive outcome, this will give you the inspiration to keep on going long after others have given up.
E – Emotion – What you focus on a consistent basis you begin to feel
Focus on what you do not have, how does it make you feel? Sad, depressed, scared.
However when you focus externally, how can I help others or contribute, how does it make you feel? Inspired, energetic, enthusiastic
A – Action – Our emotions ultimately determine our actions. When you are sad or scared you will do less to achieve your goal than when you are inspired and energetic.
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Dale Carnegie
R – Result – The more calculated actions that we take in a direction to achieve our goals the better the outcome.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
