Fear has always been my most faithful companion. I have always been fearful of everything I have tried or done, but miraculously…I’m still here and now out of FEAR I’m writing.
Yes! Isn’t it ironic that a person full of fears is going to tell you that you can still pursue your dreams, you can still try, you can fall and get back up? You know why I want to confront my fears? Because since they are always with me, they are going to see me succeed (even if I fall a million times); I will get up and try as many times as I can! Because I am not a quitter, I am not a loser, and I am capable of doing anything I put my mind and heart into…and SO ARE YOU!
Google defines fear as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat”. Now re-read that definition!! Can we all agree that fear is an unpleasant emotion? Heck yeah! Now see the rest, that emotion is caused by a belief… Who’s belief? OURS! So… what we need to do in order to destroy our fears is to start believing in OURSELVES! What do you care if others are going to criticize you? They will criticize no matter what you do, whether it is something they want you to do or whether it is something that YOU want to do. Don’t you think it is better to be criticized by the things you wanted to do? At least you can take some feedback and decide if you’ll make changes on your approach or if you decide to ignore their opinions. I say ignore!
It is normal to fear the unknown, but you should still try if it is something that you feel in your heart is calling for you. It is normal to fear failure, but the one thing I have learned is that without failing we won’t learn and grow…so bring up all the failures! It is normal to fear rejection, but EVERYONE has been rejected at some point in life, and guess what? It is up to you if you use the rejections of others as steppingstones or if you allow their “stones” to actually hit you. It is normal to fear disappointment because many people (especially friends, family, and loved ones) have disappointed us, and it hurts! Heck it hurts! But if we are still breathing it is because there is something more for us along the way. We cannot control other people’s reactions or behaviors, but we can control ours.
It is normal to feel fearful, but the best way to get rid of the fear is by believing in yourself and just follow your gut feeling. Don’t allow your emotions to control you…learn, grow, become stronger, and start living! Don’t allow your fears to control your life and the decisions you make. The fear should be the fuel to try.