Royane Real
Secrets To Overcoming Fear
By Bryce Roadley
Introductory comments
By Royane Real
Would you describe yourself a person who has a lot of fears? Or do you consider yourself absolutely fearless?
Most of us have a range of fears. We may be somewhat afraid of a few things, but we don’t fear everything.
We may think nothing of driving a powerful motorcycle very fast on back roads at dangerous speeds, but we may be terrified of making a speech in front of twenty people.
We may have no qualms about climbing a mountain but we may be afraid to ask an attractive woman for a date.
Why does this happen? Why do some of us fear so many things, while others seem to have few fears?
There is probably a biological basis for fear as well as a social basis for learned fear.
Some of us have a nervous system that seems to predispose us to being afraid much more than other people. Some people seem to be “born fearless” and they seem to thrive on challenge. It makes them feel more alive.
If you are one of those people who has a lot of fears, you need to decide whether your fears are actually running your life.
Some people can overcome their fears fairly easily, just by pushing themselves a bit harder to get out of their comfort zones.
But there are also many millions of people that are being held hostage by various fears, anxieties, phobias, and terrors. Their fears are not only running their lives, but ruining their lives.
Does your fear help your life or hinder it? Does it keep you from accomplishing goals that are important to you? Are you less than you can be because fear is holding you back from being the person you really want to be?
Is your fear rational or irrational?
That means, does your fear make sense? Or are you just afraid for no particular reason?
In the following article on the topic of fear, the author Bryce Roadley discusses how fear can control our lives, and he gives you useful ideas on how you can use your fear to accomplish your desires. He shows you some ways you can overcome your fears.
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Feature article
Secrets To Overcoming Fear
By Bryce Roadley
Fear is a primeval emotion that we have had for a long time. It is this emotion that has resulted in the survival of the human race. Fear of a larger animal, a raging rapid or another human being who is stronger has caused our hormones to trigger the "fight or flight" response.
The only types of fear that one is born with are - fear of falling - fear of loud sounds - fear of abandonment.
We know this because if one makes a loud noise, a baby gets startled and cries. If he is allowed to fall through a distance, he is likely to cry even if there is no actual impact. Even before a baby can actually hone his senses to perceive the world around him, these fears are present in him instinctively.
However, there are many categories of fears that are acquired. Most of them are either passed on to us by our parents and elders or acquired due to certain circumstances that we may have gone through.
For example, if a child sees his mother shriek every time she sees a cockroach, the child is likely to adopt the fear himself. On the other hand, if someone experiences failure every time he tries something new, he is likely to develop a fear of attempting new things.
Fear is a useful emotion and, if channeled properly, can actually lead to success. To be able to use this emotion in a positive manner, overcoming fear is essential. You need to be able to control your fear in a manner so as not to let it become all-encompassing.
Fear that takes over an individual's life can lead to irritation, anxiety attacks, phobias, irrational behavior and depression. Such fear can stifle growth, retard potential growth and warp an objective view of the world.
There are many kinds of fears. These can be as extreme as phobias. An individual can have fear towards a specific thing like ghosts, dogs, water or something else.
There are yet other fears, like the fear of speaking to strangers, starting something new, public speaking, flying and many more. Even though the list of fears can be endless and a particular fear may have different meanings and manifestations for each individual, the strategies that can be used to overcome fear are fairly similar.
The first step towards overcoming fear is to understand the core from which the fear emanates. A certain amount of meditation and self-evaluation is critical. What you need to understand is the origin of the fear. Does the fear come from something someone has told you? Does it come due to some of your past experiences? Once you know the root cause, you can begin trying to work towards overcoming the specific fear.
One of the aspects of identifying your fear is being objective and true to yourself. You can try to examine the beliefs that you have that lead you to a certain fear. For example, if you are afraid of making presentations to a group of people and feel that you will not be appreciated by them, try making an attempt.
If you come out with flying colors, you'll know that your fears were baseless. Even if you do not perform well, you'll know that you need to work on your presentation skills so that you can do better next time. In either case, you will have taken the first step required in the process of overcoming fear.
Saying that you should face your fears is obviously far easier than actually doing it. But what can be extremely useful until the time you are ready to take that first step is "positive self-talk."
Be your own motivator and tell yourself that you have it in you to do it. Look at the positive aspects of your life (and there are bound to be many) and make yourself believe that you can overcome whatever hurdles that you are facing. Overcoming fear will be much easier if you are determined to defeat it.
In this process, if the fear is keeping you from achieving something that you really want, try to focus on the reward. For example, in the above-mentioned case, if you know that a loan approval by the bank depends on how well you can impress them with your entrepreneurial idea, you should focus on the fruits of a presentation well made and keep doubts and tribulations away.
Even with all this, a basic acceptance of your fear is a must before you start on your journey to overcoming fear. Don't live in the future-or the past, for that matter. It is the past that brings up thoughts about what can happen to you in the future. And these are thoughts that create fear.
So, on your way to overcoming fear you need to understand that identifying the root cause and then being dogged about overcoming fear is what will ensure that you are victorious in the end.
Bryce Roadley is an author,speaker and business trainer. He has spent the last 27 years in business and has trained and mentored thousands of people. He has built a number of million dollar businesses and one multi-million dollar business with over 70�000 distributors.He recently sold that business and is dedicating his life to sharing his principles of success with people world wide. www.wealthwithattitude.com
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