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Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.⠀
–George Addair
Can we just think about this for a moment? Look at what it is that you most want in life. Are you working on getting there? If not, what is holding you back? Is it fear?
I am going to be very honest here. Fear has had its grip on me for most of my life. It has kept me from sharing myself and my struggles. It has kept me from pursuing my passions and dreaming big. I am not sharing this to get sympathy or pity. I am saying all of this so you know that this isn’t some empty platitude. I don’t want fear to rule my life anymore and I want to help you keep it from ruling yours.
Common Fears That Hold You Back
To help you get away from your fears and take the leap, it is important to understand the root of your fear. For that, you need to spend time reflecting on your past and on the situation at hand. I urge you to take some time to sit and really reflect on this. To help facilitate this process, I am going to share common fears that may be holding you back.
Inadequacy
Most people will experience feeling inadequate once in their life. Yes, there will always be someone that is smarter or more skilled than you. However, you can’t let the fear of inadequacy keep you from pursuing your goals.
How to overcome feelings of inadequacy: First, understand what makes you adequate. What are you good at? Second, use the skills you have and develop new skills. Lastly, let go of your past inadequacies.
Uncertainty
Nobody knows what the future holds. It is easy to be paralyzed and not take action because you don’t know what the future holds. We can’t be paralyzed by uncertainty because time will keep moving without you.
How to move beyond uncertainty: Learn how to anticipate what may happen. Do this by developing your intuition and using the power of observation.
Failure
For the achievers in the room, this is a big one. You want to do so much and you want to do it well. But there is no guarantee that everything you do is going to be successful.
How to overcome being scared of failure: Know that everyone has failed but that one failure doesn’t mean you won’t ever succeed. Try, try, and try again. Learn from your failures and you will be on your way to success.
Rejection
Feeling rejected is not fun. It shakes your confidence and makes you doubt your worth. However, past rejection does not mean you should assume you will be rejected.
How to overcome the fear of rejection: First, learn to understand that you are not right for every opportunity and not every opportunity is right for you. Second, know that even the most successful people experienced rejection and continue to experience it.
Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back
You have big dreams. You have your eye on the prize. Don’t let your fear keep you from achieving your goals. Don’t let fear keep you from your happiness.
Please know, I’m not asking you to throw caution to the wind. But I do urge you to work toward one of your big scary goals. You don’t have to face a big one today, but you should be inching closer to that fear every day.
