How To Finally Conquer All Forms Of Fear
Nothing comes closer to holding back our lives than fear.
The world has painted a picture that being fearful is fine. I'm here to tell you that it is not fine and you should not settle for it. Although we cannot eradicate fear, we can have 100% control over it.
No matter what you fear, here are 5 ways to stop it from stopping you.
1. Defend your mind from negativity.
In basketball we say defence wins championships.
In life, defending your mind from negativity will make you a champion over fear.
From "the sky is falling down!" interactions we sometimes overhear, to television, to the food we consume -- negativity can spread like wildfire.
Often times negative influences could be down to well-meaning family, friends, work colleagues or even yourself. I'm not saying that negative thoughts/things never happen to us. What I'm saying is we need to be cautious of what we allow to influence us.
In short when negativity surrounds us, let's get into the habit of letting it go through one ear and out the other ear. We don't have to accept it.
Decide that negativity can never stop you. Then rename it to never-tivity - Michael Demadema
2. Face it.
Defending your mind might be first but facing fear is part of the offensive repertoire needed to outwit it.
We need to address the root cause of our fears. Take a moment to breakdown your fears through these simple steps:
- In which type of situation do you fear the most?
- How will fear add value to your life?
- Have you ever tried calming down and thinking logically instead of being fearful?
- What's more frightening for you, failing or succeeding?
These questions will increase your emotional awareness. Then you will be in pole position to set goals that will challenge those darn fears.
Moreover I strongly believe that we need to develop affirmations that will build our self-confidence. Speak to those fears right now -- tell them that you have control over all your emotions. Always remember that.
Fight your fears and you’ll be in battle forever. Face your fears and you’ll be free forever - Lucas Jonkman
3. Fear is a waste of your imagination.
Where would the world be without imagination?
The Wright brothers imagined a machine that would take to the air. Michael Jordan envisioned playing basketball at the highest level. Asa Candler used his imagination to transform a beverage into the empire known as The Coca-Cola Company.
These greats used their imagination in a constructive way. When we let fear take control of us, our imagination becomes clouded with worry and insecurity.
Don't be afraid to pursue that dream, to reach out to that person, to create that new product or to step out of mediocrity. Master your fears and they won't master you.
A misuse of your imagination is a misuse of your God-given abilities - Michael Demadema
4. Replace fear with faith.
Faith is the ultimate antidote for fear. Since fear and faith are exact opposites, where one exists the other will not be found.
What is the best definition of faith? Look no further than Hebrews 11:1 -- “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
First, develop faith in yourself. You are the greatest asset that you possess, therefore it's time you believed in you.
For me the most important faith there is, is faith in a higher power. A higher power, that breathed life into us. The greatest power in the universe is love -- which strongly resonates with faith. Instead of spotlighting fear let us focus on love and faith.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Proverbs 3: 5-8
5. Give yourself some credit.
A lot of people admit that they're their own worst critics. If you haven't before, it's time you regularly praised yourself.
It's not about inflating your ego, its about acknowledging that you have what it takes to defeat any type of fear.
What will giving yourself some credit do? Eventually it will spark courage. With courage you will march out of conformity and you will become audacious in spite of fear. You might not be where you want to be but you are taking the right steps to be where you need to be.
Our creator in heaven will always shower you with praise in spite of your flaws, so why can't you appreciate you? Take time to recognise any little baby steps that you make.
You have to whole heartedly love yourself in order to progress - Michael Demadema
6. Bonus: The mystery.
I haven't left the mystery till last because its unimportant. In fact, this concept is everything. Throughout this article I have hinted at it. You've most likely guessed it by now. It is all about your attitude.
I remember a time when I didn't want to be in my senior high school photo with my fellow students, so I hid in the toilets. The teachers had to look everywhere for me, until I was found. A fearful attitude led me to embarrassment as I walked into the hall, tail between my legs, jeers and laughs coming from all directions.
My friends, in order to improve your life and the lives of those around you, you have to improve your attitude. Fear comes down to your attitude.
The choice to have a great attitude is something nobody or no circumstance can take from you - Zig Ziglar
Have a successful day and stay tuned for more!
Michael Demadema
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Thanks very much Pamina Mullins. Thanks for sharing, yes when genuine danger is around fear plays an important role. As we are emotional beings, we would be nothing without emotions :)
Stress Mastery, Change Management, Developing Human Capital and Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Diversity
9 年Excellent post Munyaradzi Demadema! Although fear has it's purpose (to keep us safe from genuine danger) which is what the fight or flight response was designed for, as you point out, it can so often end up running our lives and keeping us from exploring the greatness within us.
Thanks so much Evelyn!
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9 年Really good Munya
Thank you very much Tawheed. Your lecturer was onto something there, glad he imparted it to you :)