How to Embrace Your Fears and Live a Meaningful Life

Fear is something that we all experience as we journey through life. I’m not talking about phobias or that adrenaline rush you get when you skid to a stop right before rear-ending the car in front of you on the freeway.  Fear is so much bigger than that.

Fear is one of the strongest forces in our lives. It may manifest itself in many forms like:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of loss
• Fear of change
• Fear of risk
• Fear of success

Good news!

Fear can be processed honesty. Fear can be worked through. You can move beyond your fears to the life you were meant to have!

Here are 4 keys for overcoming fear:

1. Be honest about fear.

The first step in overcoming fear is to bring it out into the light of day and acknowledge it. Be honest, tell the truth and be real about the fear you hold.

When we hide our fear, we give it life. When we deny that it exists, we allow it more power that it should hold.

When we shine a light on fear and talk it through, we often find that it was not nearly as scary as we thought.

Honestly admitting our fear gives us the needed breathing room to deal with it. It opens the door to moving beyond.

2. Own it.

Take responsibility for your fear. Own up to the fact that it is your problem.

Why?

Because too often we tend to want to blame others or “circumstances beyond our control” for the fear we are experiencing. Can people or circumstances be scary and fearful? Sure, but the control of that fear lies squarely in your lap. You determine it’s influence over you and your life.

By taking responsibility for our fears we begin to own the fact that we are the only ones who can change them. When we realize this truth, we are on the path to moving beyond fear.

3. Let it out.

Do not repress your fear.

Speak, write,  journal, run, hit something (not someone), scream – do something to let fear out of your body. When we express our emotions with intensity they begin to move through us. When we truly “feel the fear”, we start the process of lessening it’s power and hold over us.

Make fear weak by becoming strong – which leads into our last, and most important key.

4. Take action.

Overcoming fear is not a spectator sport. If you want to let go of and move beyond your fear, you have to be in the game and not on the sideline.

Here are some powerful actions you can take:

A. Give your fear an expiration date. Set a specific time frame for working through and moving beyond.

B. Make fear manageable by break it down into smaller chunks.

C. Stop projecting the worst that can happen.

D. Visualize your desired outcome – see it in your mind.

E. Get up, get out and work for your dream.

F. Always have a Plan B.