Overcoming fear doesn’t happen instantly or automatically. It is the result of deliberate intention, and conscious action towards doing things that scares you. As a result of overcoming your fears, you grow as a person, and expand the possibilities that surround your life.
Do you recall the last time you wanted to do something so intensely but fear got in your way? We all have those moments when we are enthralled with an idea only to have fear prevent us from moving forward. What can we do to overcome fear from paralyzing us from moving forward with our dreams and desires?
I have always found it interesting how the concept of playing it safe makes many people choose being miserable over being happy.
The interesting thing about the human condition is that the minute we experience pain, we never want to experience it again. So as a result, we do things that we feel will ensure that we do not get hurt. In fact, we will go to further extents to avoid pain than we are to gain pleasure.
For example; you fall in love and you give every ounce of your being to the object of your affection. Things are going well for a while but then something happens and the relationship ends. You feel crushed and you swear to yourself that you will never again allow yourself to be so vulnerable. As a result, anytime you meet someone new, you remember that painful experience and you bring it into the new relationship.
Fear of risk also appears when it comes to the topic of making a living. For some reason there is a belief in the collective conscious that in order to make money, you will mostly likely work at a job that you do not love.
When I was a child, one of my mother’s friends told me to enjoy being a kid because when I became an adult, I would have to get a job in order to pay bills so that I could be responsible. She made it sound as if being an adult was an existence made up of misery and not joy.
Yes, we do have to be responsible for our lives and we do have to pay bills but where does it say that we have to be miserable? I have yet to see proof that we have to be unhappy in order to pay the bills.
One of the many interesting things about life is that nothing of value was ever gained by playing it safe. Take, for example, the founding of America. Fifty-six men risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence. Their act of signing that document constituted treason and it was a serious offense according to the laws of the British Empire. However, they knew that they needed to sign that document in order to achieve independence.
To have a life that you love requires some type of risk taking, and stepping out of your comfort zone to confront some of your fears. Let’s face it, the only sure thing in life is the fact that at some point your heart will stop pumping and this fantastic ride will be over.
When I was twenty-five, I had achieved every single material desire that I ever had. I also felt miserable. There was a huge void in my heart and soul. It scared me and I knew that I did not want the rest of my life to be a reflection or repetition of what I was feeling. So I vowed to change it.
I took a leap of faith, confronted my fears and took action that scared me. As a result, I created a new life that was based on what I loved and believed. I knew in my heart that there was more to life than just money and a title. I wanted passion and meaning. I got it.
The caveat is that sometimes when we change, it will make some people around us uncomfortable. When I decided to change, I had lost many friends. Some of my relatives disowned me and others stopped talking to me.
The loss of friends and relatives was very painful but the rewards were truly worthwhile. I made new friends who ended up becoming more like family than friends. I went from being a miserable person to being a happy person. The void disappeared. My life went from being meaningless to meaningful. It was the wisest decision I ever made in my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment