How To Deal With Fear And Live Your Dreams

Fear is something we all experience. You may look at someone who is very successful and think they are completely fearless, but I guarantee you that is not the case. I have fear all the time. What if I fail? What will someone think of me? What if I’m not good enough?

You can either let the fear stop you from reaching your goals or feel the fear but go for it anyway. The moment we can learn to embrace fear, we open ourselves up to so many opportunities. The moment you let fear take hold and stop you from doing things, you shut yourself off from reaching your true potential.

Learn to recognize the fear
Sometimes we don’t even know that being afraid that is holding us back. Instead we hide behind a million excuses as to why we can’t go out there and achieve our dreams. However most of these excuses stem from a fear that we have in the back of our minds. Really ask yourself: what is truly holding you back? Generally we all have the same worries: failure, being judged, rejection and not being good enough. The moment you recognize what’s holding you back is when you make that first step to moving forward.

Feel the fear
Just because you have fears doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human. If it’s there then recognize it and feel it as much as you can. Know that it’s okay to have worries but then quickly turn it around and not let it control you.

Know that you are not alone
If there is a goal or dream that you truly want to reach, then rally support from those around you. Let them help you and support you in facing the fear. Even better, find someone who’s achieved what you want. Talk to them about the hardships they have faced and how they overcame them. It’s so good to learn form other people’s experience and know that you aren’t the only who feels like this

What’s the worse that can happen?
So much of what stops us from going after what we want is thinking what can happen if we fail. Fear of failure is just a hypothetical that we create for ourselves. If something scares me, I think about what is the absolute worse thing that can happen. Then I think if that did happen, what could I do to get out of it. You soon realize that perhaps that story you have created isn’t that bad. If failure does happen you have the tools to deal with it.

What’s the best that can happen?
Now think about what is the best outcome if you face your fears. What new possibilities can you create for yourself? Use these positive thoughts as motivation to push through the hard stuff. Once you focus on the positives, the fear starts to melt away.

Break it down
Overcoming a fear and reaching a new life goal can seem challenging and overwhelming. If the fear you are facing seems too big to handle, see how you can break it down to smaller challenges. Then just take it one step at a time.  Soon that large overwhelming fear won’t seem such a big deal.

Always remember that fear is such a natural human emotion but it’s not something we should allow to control our lives. So if there is something out there that scares you, know you aren’t alone. Feel the fear and go for it anyway. It’s how our dreams are achieved.