Breaking Free Of Fear: How To Keep It From Holding You Back

byFlorence43

91 followers

2 months ago

Let’s talk about fear.

We all have it. It’s that little voice in your head that whispers, “What if I fail?” or “What if I look stupid?” It’s the reason we hesitate, overthink, and sometimes talk ourselves out of doing things we actually want to do.

Fear isn’t all bad—it’s wired into us for survival. Back in the day, it kept our ancestors from wandering too close to a hungry lion. But in today’s world, fear mostly shows up in ways that do not protect us—it just holds us back. Keep us from achieving the things we want most in life.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to start a business, try a new hobby, or put yourself out there in some way, but fear keeps stopping you. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: fear doesn’t have to run the show. Let’s break it down and talk about how to stop fear from holding you back.

Understanding Our Fear

Before we start, let’s get one thing straight—fear is totally normal. It’s just your brain trying to keep you safe. The problem is, your brain doesn’t always know the difference between what is real fear or danger (like a bear chasing you) and "imagined" danger (like the fear of embarrassing yourself in a new yoga class).

The Different Flavours of FEAR

• Fear of failure - What if I mess it up?
• Fear of rejection - What if they do not like me?
• Fear of embarrassment - What if I look like a clumsy idiot?
• Fear of the unknown - What if I made the wrong choice and it goes the wrong way?

These are the exact types of fears that keep us locked into our comfort zones, playing safe and at the same time frustrating ourselves, and even making ourselves angry, that we behave this way.

But here's the thing...if you stay in your comfort zone nothing amazing can ever happen. Memories are made the moment you that you stepped off the diving board and executed the perfect head first dive. The exhilaration and the achievement etched that moment forever in your brain. Your first thought will be "That was easy, why did I not do it sooner"?

It all boils down to how we first perceived and processed the thought of making a dive in the first place.

How Fear Holds Us Back

Fear is very sneaky. It convinces us that staying right where we are is the best thing. It says:

• I am not ready yet!
• You don't have enough information!
• You might regret this!
• This is not going to work out!

Sound familiar, fear makes excuses for us, roots us to immobility. When this happens fear wins and we go through life with regrets. We all have regrets, we are human, we are not perfect.

How To Recognize Your Fear

So, how do we move past our fears. First we must recognize when fear is calling the shots by asking these fundamental questions:

• Why exactly am I afraid?
• What am I afraid of?
• Is it fear based on facts or am I just imagining it?

A trick some people use it to write them down on a piece of paper. This helps to put the fear into its correct compartment. Most often when we see it like this, it becomes silly, and we will laugh at ourselves.

The important part is that you have now removed that thought from the fear compartment and placed it back where it belongs as a thing that you can now enjoy.

Overcome Fear And Take Action

Alright, now we are at the good part....which is how to keep "FEAR" from holding you back.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Reframe Fear as Excitement

Ever notice how fear and excitement feel almost the same? Your heart races, your stomach flips, your hands might get a little sweaty. Next time you feel fear creeping in, tell yourself: “I’m not scared, I’m excited.” It’s a small mindset shift that makes a huge difference

• Take Baby Steps

You don’t have to take a massive leap—just start small. If fear is stopping you from starting a business, take one little step: brainstorm ideas, buy a domain name, talk to someone who’s done it before. Tiny steps add up.

• Talk Back to Fear

Fear loves to exaggerate. If your fear says, “You’ll fail and everyone will laugh at you,” ask yourself: “Really? Will they even care? And if I do fail, what’s the worst that will actually happen?”

• Embrace Failure as Part of the Process

Nobody gets it right the first time. Every successful person you admire has failed—probably more than once. Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of the journey *to* success

• Practice Mindfulness

Fear often lives in the future. Mindfulness (like deep breathing or meditation) helps bring you back to the present. Most of the time, the thing you’re scared of isn’t happening , it’s just a thought in your head.

• Examples of Pushing Through Fear

These are all real people who pushed past their fears and overcame them to succeed

Oprah Winfrey - was fired from her first TV job, telling her she was unfit.

J.K Rowling - was rejected by 12 publishers before her book series became a global phenomenon.

Michael Jordan - was kicked off his high school team - It drove him to perfect his play!

• Fear will always be there - push past it anyways

Here is the constant - Fear will always be with you! Accepting it, recognizing it, gives you the power to overcome it and move forward. If you feel fear, recognize it as a green light and a probable sign that you are about to grow.

Final Words:

Fear is not going to go away, but it does not need to control you. Recognizing your fear triggers, will help you to overcome and achieve, well, anything you want ! How do you deal with FEAR? What advice would you give to someone unable to push past their FEARS....?