Dave Rave – Five Simple Things You Can Do To Defeat Your Fears

daveraveOne of the most limiting forces in our lives are our fears: some, justified; most, fabricated and simply figments of our imagination.

Just because fear limits our life doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a legitimate place in our life.  I never bought into the t-shirt several years ago which read “No Fear.”  The truth of the matter is, fear can be your friend as much as it can be your foe.  It’s intelligent people in business and life who know the difference.  Here are five simple actions you can take today to defeat the kinds of fear that can diminish and ultimately destroy your life.

  1. Do something you’re afraid to do in a small place.  Oftentimes failing in private or even in a small environment can give us the courage to do the things that will help us get better.   If you’re afraid to play tennis for example, get a tennis racket and start hitting some tennis balls against the wall.  If you’re afraid to start running, start walking in a place where no one can see and laugh at you.
  2. Ask yourself this simple question, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to me if I don’t start today defeating this fear?” Maybe it’s that you’ll stay unemployed, or unmarried.  Maybe it’s that you’ll continue to be debilitated by your lack or loss of health. Define what that is and how big the price is you’re ultimately going to pay by not starting, and start.  At least do something.
  3. Sit down with a trusted friend who can give you some perspective on your fear. Maybe the fear is unfounded and they can give you wise counsel.
  4. Get online, read books, blogs, watch videos to help you study about this subject you are fearful of. If you’re afraid to get married because you’ve been married, then go to marriage classes, read a book on how to be married successfully.  Go to a marriage conference.
  5. Do one thing today that moves you in the direction of the goal that fear is keeping you from. Instead of facing my fears, what I need to do is have a goal, a purpose, a direction, a dream (call it whatever you will) that I want so badly that the effort to focus on that goal moves me to and oftentimes through fears without even knowing it.  Focusing on the fear just makes it bigger.  It makes you feel as though you are unable to do anything about it.

Are your fears good things protecting you, helping you, keeping you in line?  Or are they bad things, diminishing and debilitating and keeping you from doing what you were put on this earth to do?  Only you can make that call.

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