Fear Factor

What is Fear?

So you've analyzed your ambitions and have determined the life you want to have. You can envision it but something seems to get in the way. Could it be fear?

Fear has a way of injecting psychological toxins into our subconscious that acts like a handcuff, restraining our ability to achieve our goals. Although the fear may be perceived, it seems so real. This perceived fear plays games with our minds, robbing us of any rational thoughts we need to cherish in order to move ahead.

When fear is perceived, the portion of the brain involved in fear automatically reacts. It triggers behaviors such as a racing heart, anxiety, or sweaty palms. If the fear is related to doubts about your own ability, the fear will allow you to come up with an excuse why you cannot accomplish your task.

The process of fear is entirely subconscious. You are driven to think, believe, and act based upon the fear you initially perceived. If the perceived fear is funneled through unfavorable past experiences, the subconscious mind injects even more doubt and eventually you feel immobile, paralyzed, unable to make it past the first step.

Because we as humans do everything to avoid pain or discomfort in our lives, we give in to the fears we are fed by our subconscious. This fear prevents you from even attempting the first move. There may be times that your ambition pulsates within you and motivates you to get it past the first step but the discomforts and doubts created by fear can be so much more powerful than your own ambitions that you cannot follow through.

Over time, this fear eats away at your self-confidence. You begin to come up with excuses why things can't get done. You play the victim role. You feel sorry for yourself. You become depressed. Your self-esteem takes a plunge - all in the name of fear.

Fear Destroys Self Confidence

Ever notice that you have no problems coming up with great, profitable ideas? You are convinced that this is the big one, the idea of all ideas. The moment you conceive your idea, the level of excitement surges within you. You can't wait to share it with your friends and family. But as the days go by the enthusiasm tapers off.

Unfortunately, this is idea number 49. The people in your life have heard it so many times that they just listen to your hype to be polite. You begin to develop a reputation for "all talk and no action". Your self-confidence slowly becomes eroded. How many times has this happened to you? What do you think contributes to this syndrome? Could it be fear?

In order to make the bridge from ambition to achieving your plans, you must deal with the fear factor in your life. You may feel fearless in other areas of life but in this area of goal attainment there is something sabotaging you every time. That something is fear.

When fear intercepts your plan, your ability to execute is jeopardized. Your enthusiasm eventually disappears and everything is at a stand still. You once again feel disappointment in yourself, wondering what happened. You level of confidence takes a serious plunge. You withdraw for the embarrassment you feel. Your self-esteem bottoms out. You remain in hibernation until you once again feel comfortable to emerge, hoping that no one remembers to ask about your once again failed project.

Fear of Success

Once fear is allowed to erode your self-confidence it remains in control of your life, lurking within the subconscious. Each failed attempt or each time something is avoided due to fear, this fearful behavior is reinforced even more. That fear is then transferred to all areas of your life. The erosion of your self-confidence simultaneously affects your self-esteem. The self-critic dominates your thought process and self doubt inevitably moves in as one begins to experience what many term "fear of success". If the fear is not addressed it continues to sabotage your every move.

Let's examine the real meaning of fear of success.

Your perception of self undergoes a transformation. You believe you are unworthy of any positive outcomes or recognition you will receive as a result of your achievements, so why even try?

You feel afraid of failing or making mistakes that you refuse to even make the first attempt.

Because your self-confidence is undermined you doubt you own abilities to execute a task. There is very little effort made to attempt a project.

You compare yourself with others and feel inferior, believing that no matter how much success you achieve, it will never stack up.

You begin to rationalize that even though you achieve all your goals, you still won't be able to find happiness and true contentment in your life. So what's the point?

Does any one of these apply to you? Try to examine your fears to determine if you fall into the above category.

Fear Conditioning

Fear is a normal, innate survival tool we all possess. It serves as a means of protecting us from harm. However, that same fear that protects us can also hinder us progress in life.
Let is examine what really causes fear of success or any forms of fear that tend to hold us back.

The fear many of you experience that holds you back is triggered by our culture, social structure, and values. Modern culture defines success in terms of wealth, fame, or prestige. We are compared to these norms and judged accordingly. If your level of confidence in your abilities are not sufficiently developed to feel comparatively capable a feeling of fear takes over. This results in anxiety. Here is where the conditioning begins. Over time, as this fear is experienced, this learned behavior becomes ingrained in the psyche.

This form of fear conditioning allows you to become very intimidated. It causes you to put off doing something of great importance that can benefit your life in significant ways. Each time it gets put off the fear is reinforced even more and the conditioning continues. Because fear is an automatic, physiological reaction, you find yourself doing or acting in ways that are so unlike you.

Fear conditioning destroys your self-image. It places you under enormous stress because you feel you cannot live up to your own personal expectations or even worse the increased expectations that are dictated by our culture.

Overcoming Fear, Fear Not!

You are now aware of the power fear can have over you. You may have attributed your inability to gain your success momentum to fear. You must learn to overcome fear and discard this albatross that sabotages your ability to achieve your goals. But how?

You must first make that decision for CHANGE. You must choose whether to allow your fears to ruin any plans you have for the future or to break free of them. It is a choice, yes a choice you must make. Spend some time alone to look way down into the recesses of your heart and decide what fears are holding you back. Make a list of them. You are the only one who truly knows the fear that binds you. You are the only one who can free yourself from your fear. Decide to let go of the victim role that fear has you living in and make the effort to let it disappear from your life. This is the first step towards overcoming fear.

The next step to overcoming fear is awareness. Be able to recognize when fear has control of you and assess that fear. Acknowledge it out loud and ask "what am I afraid would happen to me"? What do I have to lose for trying? What am I really afraid of? Write them down. Stop and try to imagine how your life would be if you resisted the fear. Think about how great it would feel. Think about the opportunities missed by allowing the fear to stay in control.

Now that you know what you are truly afraid of try to address the fears. If it is lack of knowledge, find ways to educate yourself about the subject matter. Take a course, do the research on the web, find a mentor, a life coach. Associate with people who will encourage and guide you. Address all the reasons why you feel fearful and diffuse the fear. As you gain more knowledge your level of confidence will grow simultaneously. High self-confidence will replace doubts and fear.

Positive self-talk is another way to reinforce confidence and diminish fear. Giving positive self-affirmations is a form of self-conditioning that replaces the doubts lodged in the subconscious. Remind yourself that "you can" achieve.

Alternative tools for dealing with the anxiety caused by fear are neurofeedback and biofeedback therapies. These modalities help to reduce the effects of fear conditioning, restore clearer objectives, and create more focus on the goals at hand. To this end the individual can progress at a faster pace.

Most importantly, take action. Don't just sit around hoping, thinking and planning forever, or waiting for the right time to act. The best time to start is today. Jump in! Figure out what you're good at and make that move right now. The best way to overcome fear is by being proactive. With each effort your level of confidence increases.

Above all, believe through faith that you can overcome your fears and achieve your goals. Believe that you can accomplish great things in your life.

Remember having fears is a normal part of what makes us human. It is an emotion just like love, happiness, or sadness. The problem arises when fear has so much control over your life that it hinders your ability to succeed at achieving your goals.

The most successful people have fears. They just NEVER let their fears hold them back. So how badly do you want to overcome your fears? That is the question of significance.