5 Ways to Master Life-Limiting Fears

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“None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear.” — Ferdinand Foch

Indeed, everyone, young or old, rich or poor, has fear. Far from being a nuisance, fear is a natural survival emotion that protects us from potential dangers.

But while it has helped us to survive the prehistoric times, when unchecked, fear can become an obstacle to living our true purpose in the present-day.

Fearing the unknown, we tend to hold ourselves back from taking charge of our lives. We delay making changes we know are necessary to improve our relationships, health or career. Instead, we keep doing the things that we are familiar with day in day out; not because we enjoy them, but because we are fearful of trying things that are unfamiliar to us.

But to live the life we want, facing up to our fears is inevitable. Only by doing so, can we expect to uncover who we really are and what we want in life. And here are a few time-tested approaches you can take to master your fears so that they do not seem larger than what they really are:

1. Accept change as a way of life

   Fear of change is one of the most common fears. That’s why many of us are still doing the same thing we did ten years ago, even though it may be serving no purpose or even downright bad for us.

   And you have probably heard this cure for countless times — change is the only unchanged thing in life. But, did you understand it with your intellect or have you internalized this wisdom into your very core?

   It is easy to have a superficial understanding of the line with the mind. But the greatest test comes when we face an unexpected and dramatic change in our lives. How fast we take to bounce back from our shock and other secondary emotions like pain and grief brought on by the change will reveal how well we have assimilated this knowledge into our very being.

   To incorporate change as part of our lives, you don’t necessarily have to experience many setbacks, although they can be very useful if you stay open to them. A less drastic way would be to make use of daily reminders.

   Each day, pay attention to the subtle changes that are happening around you. Appreciate the transient nature of things, living or otherwise. Have fun spotting the myriad ways in which changes occur and the time taken for them to take place.

   Don’t be fooled into believing that because some things appear huge, solid, strong or secure, it will never change. It only means that either we are incapable of detecting the small changes that have taken place, or change has yet to come.

2. Dissolve fear with knowledge

   If fear of the unknown is a shadow, then knowledge is the light that illuminates it. Rather than taking your fears at face value and believing in them, verify whether they are truly justified. Are your fears really as indomitable as you thought?

   You’ll be surprised that most of our fears are actually self-deluding thoughts that arise due to ignorance, misconception or discrimination. Once we take steps to know our fears and clear the false understandings that sustain them, our fears will dissolve like fine salt in water.

   Gaining of knowledge in this context is not limited to facts you can attain from books. It can also be in the form of acquiring or perfecting a skill through repetitive practice, or making concrete plans to address your fear step-by-step.

   For instance, if public speaking is your greatest fear, rather than avoiding all chances of making a speech, volunteer yourself for one and make conscientious plans to brush up on your presentation skill (like regular practices with co-workers who are good speakers, join a toastmasters club or enroll yourself in a public speaking class).

3. Trust that you have what it takes

   Believe it or not, all of us already have what it takes to handle most, if not all, life situations that come our way. But often fears as well as ignorance and self-limiting thoughts get in our way and prevent our innate abilities from showing through.

   For example, instead of nurturing our inborn self-healing power and giving it a chance to do its job, we would suppress it with medication at the first sign of illness.

   So rather than allowing your fears to hold back your natural talents, trust that you already possess the necessary skills to survive the very thing you fear.

   Ease into your fears and feel them completely. Then let them go and be yourself with no fear may be one of the best ways to overcome them.

4. Meditate on divine power

   Meditation coupled with visualization can help to overcome fears by increasing your self-confidence and courage. You can meditate on a divine being who embodies courage and strength, such as Archangel Michael, Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin or Lord Krishna.

   To begin, find a quiet spot and sit comfortably. Close your eyes, and breathe slowly and deeply without forcing. Now visualize the divine being in your mind as clearly as you can. See and feel the dazzling light surrounding the divine shining forth at you. As you bath yourself in the beautiful aura, imagine your heart soaking up the qualities of confidence and courage like a sponge. Stay in this state as long as you like.

   When you are ready to end your meditation, thank the divine being for imparting his or her power to you. Then whenever fear strikes, open your heart and let the light of courage wash it away effortlessly. Rest in the thought that the divine being is watching over you and giving you the strength you need to overcome any obstacle.

5. Visualize doing the very thing that you fear

   Visualization is a good way to overcome fears associated with performance. We are often the harshest critic of ourselves and the thought of doing something that we fear of is enough to stop us from going any further.

   But we can turn the table around with our mind. Visualize yourself carrying out the action that gives you fear with perfect synchronicity, flow and results in full HD details. Regardless of the condition of the external environment, see yourself adapting to the environment to deliver excellent performance.

   Go through the entire sequence in your mind, from the beginning when you get yourself ready, right to the point when you step off the stage or field with the reward in your hands. Be as meticulous as you can because the effectiveness of this method lies in how much details you can imagine.

The approaches in this article are by no mean the only ways to conquer your fears. I’m sure you have other equally effective ways to address the unique fears that you are facing. Why not share them with us in the comments?