Fear Is Nothing To Be Scared Of!

Life Coach Louise Presley-Turner talks about how overcoming our fears are a normal part of life and essential if we want to live our lives to our true potential.

What is it your afraid of?

Is it making decisions, getting it wrong, finding a new job, losing your relationship, learning to drive, getting old, public speaking, swimming, being a bad parent.

Everybody has fears, some small, some big. In this day and age we are so conditioned to fear everything, from a spider on the floor to the world at large. We fear change, we fear beginnings, we fear endings, we fear living and we even fear dying.

Fear can be all consuming, so immense and so paralysing that it keeps you stuck within your status quo for decades without ever moving forward. The more time that elapses the worse the fear appears to get. You end up living your life in limbo, feeling disappointed, prodded and let down by life. Living in the void of fear is a horrible place to live. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Don’t let fear rob you of the opportunity to succeed and grow in life. I often tell my clients, if your not fearful, then your not moving forward.

What people don’t realise is that fear is a normal part of life and essential if you want to live to your true potential.

If you have set yourself a goal and failed because you were paralysed by fear – don’t give up! That’s the very nature of goal setting. When you venture into new territory it’s inevitable you will come face to face with your own personal fears. The key is not to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction but to face the fear head on and believe me, it’s never as bad as you think it’s going to be.

I remember running my very first workshop and the fear I felt as I stood at the lectern with 25 eager facing waiting in anticipation of my first word. I could have fainted with the intensity of the fear. But do you know what, literally 10 minutes into my 3 hours workshop my body and mind relaxed into the flow and I no longer felt scared. I had to face my fear in order to over come it. Each time you face a fear your comfort zone expands and in turn, so does your entire life.

Here are my ‘three fear fighters’ to help you overcome your fears.

1) Understand that fear is just an emotion. Feelings are all the same whether you’re happy, sad, angry or frightened. They are only emotions and not something that is coming from outside you. Feelings are derived from the thoughts we hold and the images that we play out in our mind, so in order to change our feelings it makes sense that we change the thoughts and images in our head. When you feel overwhelmed by fear, change the pictures in your mind or the thoughts in your head to something more positive, maybe close your eyes and see yourself confidently carrying out the very thing you’re fearful of. Change your thoughts and images and your feelings will magically change as a matter of course.

2) Face the fear head on and get into action. When you face your fears head on and take the necessary action your confidence automatically soars. Choose something that you are currently fearful of and create a plan of action to over come it. Break it down into manageable chunks and commit to doing something that stretches your comfort zone each and every day. Don’t expect too much too soon, just make sure you’re continually moving forward at your own pace.

3) Grow with the flow. When you feel an emotion that is uncomfortable many of us tend to push it away, often by distracting ourselves with food, TV, internet etc… or simply by swallowing the feeling and continuing to live our lives in the void of fear. When you find that nothing seems to ease the fear, instead of resisting your feelings, you must embrace them. It’s okay to be fearful, it’s a natural part of life, it means you’re growing; it means that you’ve made a decision to move forward. Experience the fear and let it move through you body. Remember it’s never as bad as you think it’s going to be!

Let nothing stand between you and your dreams. Face your fears head on, give yourself permission to expand your awareness and your invisible wings so you can fly a little higher and a little further and see what else is out there. Who knows what you might find!