To be free from fear and succeed in life, we have to understand what fear is, why fear happens, and how to remove fear permanently.

Fear is inherent in every living being, but this fear is meant to keep one safe, and it manifests only when the circumstances of fear arise. For instance, a little puppy, due to the fear instinct, immediately moves out of the way of a fast-approaching vehicle, when it listens to the sound of the horn. This saves him from a lot of problems that could possibly arise if he had not.

Many, however, suffer from false, imaginary fear. False fear means after a fearful situation has occurred, one will keep seeing or imagining hundreds of possibilities of such situation to happen in the future. It is also when we feel fear where there is nothing to fear at all.

For example, you may have only invited a single guest for dinner, but you will fear as if a hundred guests are coming. Such fear is false, it is illusionary, highly aggravated in intensity and damaging to us.

The destructive effects of fear impact our thinking and decision-making in a negative way, leaving us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions.

What can we do to overcome the false and imaginary fear?
Evaluate to see if the fear has any merit.
Go out and get fresh air when fear strikes.
Share your fear with someone and get a fresh perspective on things.

Don’t sit on fear; otherwise it will multiply and take over your rational thinking.
Look for validation and evidence.
Give yourself a break from the stressful routine.
Seek help.
Let fear know it has no control and hold on you.
Recognizing fear is a weakness.
Never allow fear to come in the way and prevent a positive outcome.

Until we remain fearful, we will not be able to accomplish anything. Fear will hold us back by creating a negative mind-set. Instead, start thinking positively, stare into the fear and do all you can to stay firm on the side of rational and positive thoughts. If you learn to conquer your fear, you will soon overpower the negative effects of fear and begin travelling on a decisive and constructive route.

Fear arises when we enter into undue competition
A greed to be something or to have something more makes everyone run in a rat race!
But who are we in race with? Those running alongside, behind or who are already ahead? Naturally, one is generally competing with those who are at a more or less same level as his.

Is competition good?
When one is competing, his concentration gets diverted and his lot of energy is wasted.

To excel or succeed in a particular task is a positive goal. However, when one enters into competition, his focus changes to that of beating the competition, defeating the opposition, pulling down those on the way of progress; and eventually this becomes even the end goal when competition gets fierce.

Compete with our own self
Our real competition should be with our past self, striving to be better than we were yesterday. This is possible by remaining sincere to one’s self and towards one’s goal.
Always give your 100% in every task.
Have a positive mindset.

Never give up.
Be firm and determined.
Compare yourself to yourself for betterment.
Learn how to lose, and become strong from this loss.
Learn from your mistakes so that you can do better in the future
Give yourself a break when things tend to repeatedly go wrong.
Never harbour bad feelings for those who are better than you. Rather appreciate their virtues. When we appreciate good of others, those virtues will result within us too.

Fear can be won over permanently when we have the correct understanding.
“People who are ignorant of the Self (agnani), experience fear. Those who have been imparted the Knowledge of the Self, suffer the fear. And the One who Knows the effect of the fear [as separate from Himself] is [prevailing in] the authority of Knowledge only!” – Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an enlightened being.

Only when we are Self-realised, will the fear depart altogether. Through Self-realisation, we are able to remain separate from the effects of the body and name. Fear will occur but these effects belong to the body and the name, not in us.

It is best not to enter into any competition for it leads to fear. When we strive to do the best we can in life, without hurting any living beings to the slightest extent through one’s mind, speech and body, there remains no fear; peace prevails within and around us!
To know more: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/self-help/suspicion-and-fear/

Author's Bio: 

Ambalal M. Patel was a civil contractor by profession. In June 1958, spontaneous Self-Realization occurred within Ambalal M. Patel. From this point on, Ambalal became a Gnani Purush, and the Lord that manifest within him became known as Dada Bhagwan. A Gnani Purush is One who has realized the Self and is able help others do the same. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan used to go from town to town and country-to-country to give satsang (spiritual discourse) and impart the knowledge of the Self, as well as knowledge of harmonious worldly interactions to everyone who came to meet him. This spiritual science, known as Akram Vignan, is the step-less path to Self-realization.