3 Things You Can Do to Overcome Your Fears

Being fearless isn’t about the absence of fear. Being fearless is facing the things in life that scare you, in spite of the sweaty palms and racing heartbeat. Being fearless is realizing that what you want is more important than any fear you have of achieving it.

Fearless is falling down and getting back up again (and again).

You and I both know we have faced fears in our life, and when we face them and conquer them, isn’t it exhilarating? I don’t know if there are any words that describe that feeling of having achieved what you once thought was unimaginable.

However, there are some things that you want to do, and you know you could do it, but there’s some fear holding you back.

For example, right now I’m in a leadership role with my job in public health, and every week of being in this role, my leadership has been tested. I have faced my own internal fears and external fears, and each time I journal my thoughts, I’m grateful that I got to experience those fears.

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every minute of my life—and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” - Georgia O’Keeffe

Ready to get started on the path to a more fearless you?

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1. Own your fear.

Psychologist Carl Jung said, “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size.” So, it goes with fear, as well; resisting fear expands it. Fearlessness comes from embracing your vulnerability, not by avoiding it.

Isn’t it time you stopped running and faced your imaginary monsters?

2. Reshape your fear.

You’re smart, and that can be a problem. Are you a habitual ‘catastrophizer’, always assuming the worst will happen? Having an active imagination can fuel our concerns, instead of suppressing them. Our brains often overestimate our fears while underestimating our ability to manage them. The next time you’re feeling afraid, instead of imagining the worst outcome, ask yourself what’s the BEST thing that can happen, and use your imagination to explore that scenario.

3. Build your courage muscle.

If you’ve ever started a new exercise habit you know that building muscle requires starting slow and working your way up. Developing courage is like building a muscle. Show up, start slow, practice your form, and do the repetitions. Your fearless ‘muscles’ may be sore at first, but once it becomes a habit, taking more courageous steps for the bigger challenges gets easier too. This is how I went from a person who stutters to a speaker!

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When it comes right down to it, we really don’t have much control over the good and bad things that happen to us. Two critical things we do have control over is our mindset and our responses to our circumstances.

When you decide to take the initiative to confront your fears, you’ll discover that the universe is in your corner. Will it be easy? No. Will you face obstacles? Yes. Will you make mistakes? Yes.

You are courageous. You are creative. You are resilient. So, what are you afraid of?