Fear is a four-letter word that holds back even the biggest, most successful and persistent individuals in the world. It’s a feeling that’s all too familiar; something everyone knows, understands and relates to. It can paralyze even the most confident and self-assured people.

Everybody Knows Fear

Everyone, regardless of age, race, color, gender knows what this feeling is. It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your tummy, increased heart rate, the feeling that something is wrong, an inexplicable confusion and the unshakeable belief that you can’t move ahead.

Fear is what stands between who you are, what you want to be, where you want to go and where you are right now. It can creep up on you when you least expect, or you can think of it as an unwelcome guest overstaying, invading your life and your peace of mind.

You know fear like the back of your hand and it knows you. It knows exactly what makes you tick, what breaks you and what gets under your skin. You’re helpless in the face of fear—or are you?

Facing Your Fears

It doesn’t matter whether you’re afraid of trying, afraid of failing, afraid of falling or afraid of succeeding. Fear can get to the best of us and it doesn’t necessarily look the same for two people. The crippling helplessness that comes with fear doesn’t need to hold you back.

You can face your fears with the decision to persevere and carry on. Here are some tips on how to stand unafraid in challenging times:

Forget what you can’t control, focus on what you can

Fear tends to come from a place of not knowing. The anxiety of uncertainty is what can break you and get the best of you but it’s about understanding this simple fact. Don’t overthinkand fixate on what is beyond your control; shift your focus to what is. Practice mindfulness.

Play out worst-case scenarios before they come to you

This may seem counterintuitive but it helps you prepare for the leap. “What’s the worst that can happen?”—ask yourself this and you’ll realize that it’s probably not as scary as you’d thought.

Evaluate risks

Understand the real and imaginary risks in a situation. How much of a threat truly exists and how much of it is a creation of your mind? This can help you regain control of your life and situation.

Think of the alternative

You’ve thought of the real possible outcomes of your fears; now think of the alternative. What if things go right? Give yourself that push and motivation to work against the challenges ahead of you!

In his video,professional motivational speaker Steve Rizzo says,“You are the creator of your success and happiness and no matter what circumstance you find yourself in, attitude is everything!”

Ready to show life that you’re here to fight? Maybe you still need a bit of a push? Check out humorous motivational speaker Steve Rizzo’s YouTube channel for more content!

About the Author

The writer is an expert on trauma therapy and counseling. He writes extensively on the conflict of the human mind.