Our minds are wired to keep us safe, and sometimes more so than actually needed. Our reptilian brain constantly acts up when we are in uncharted territory or un-anticipated situations, thereby causing us to stop from taking action due to debilitating fear.
And, the way our mind experiences fear – just by imagining the outcome of a certain action – is far more severe than the reality of what we feel when we overcome our fear, and push forward by sheer will.
So by constantly facing our irrational fears, setting them aside and taking baby steps of action in situations where stakes are low, we can start learning from direct experience that most of the times things are not really as bad as we had originally feared.
Be it public speaking, financial security, social situations or work responsibilities, many times we let our fears dictate our actions. This stops us from living to our full potential, and limiting our ability for positive impact.
One practical way to overcome fear is by understanding the worst-case scenario and coming to terms with it. This will help us see that our fears are many times totally uncalled for, and help free up energy that we can then invest towards actions that get us closer to our desired goal.
Choosing controlled/safe environments to practice actions that we fear also helps us to gain confidence and chase out our fears.
To Do:
- When you feel fear, take a few moments to understand what the worst-case outcome could be if you move forward and act anyways.
- If you can accept the outcome, then take least one or two actions towards your ideal goal by setting your fears aside.
- Observe if your experience while you act, or if the outcome of your action, is in truth how you had imagined it would be.