All of us are living in a world of fear and not realizing it. Fear controls all aspects of our lives. It keeps us from getting through essential projects at work, taking steps toward our goals and dreams, talking to our partners about being unhappy in our relationships, opening up to loved ones about an addiction or a disease we are secretly battling. If we don’t tackle fear, it will control our lives and waste away our precious time.
Fear causes us to settle for the life we have instead of the life we dream about. To fight this, we need to push ourselves outside our comfort zones. Comfort is the enemy of growth and progress. Apply for that big job you fear you won’t get, open that business you’ve been thinking about, launch that podcast you secretly dream about, and no matter what, and regardless of your goal, everyday take steps (big or tiny) toward it.
Fear causes us to withdraw. Is it your love life, your dreams, your career, or a mental hang-up? Once we identify our fears, we can begin to deal with it. Stop taking everything personal! People’s reactions, comments, beliefs, or lifestyle choices are not about us. Let’s change our attitudes, complain less, and laugh more often because life is fun and not that serious. Listen to more comedy to exercise your laugh muscles, try to look at stressful situations from a humorous angle and surround yourself with cheerful and uplifting people. Let the sunshine on your face!
Fear can be overcome by changing the way we look at failure. There is no success without failure and anyone that tells you otherwise has amnesia, is in denial or is a big fat liar. Failure is not a negative event but a positive necessary step to getting closer to our goals. Most all failures end up being a blessing in disguise.
Fear causes us to procrastinate. When we are about to do something we’re not familiar with, we usually don’t know where to start and that’s when the fear of the uncomfortable, stops us from tackling it. We need to shine a light on that fear because often our fear hides in the shadows. Casting light on our fears will help us move beyond it.
Fear causes us to be mentally distracted. Rework the distraction to something positive. Distract yourself with physical activity, enjoyable tasks, listen to music and dance like you are on a Comedy show.
Action is the solution in tackling our fears head on. Too often, we hide behind the various masks we wear in life because we’re concerned about how people will look at us when we take the masks off. Some lawyers I know are so stuffy and unpleasant to deal with at work but a complete sweetheart and a hoot outside of work. The only way we can truly be happy and fulfilled in life is to begin removing these masks and become one person everywhere we are, our true happy self. There is ample proof that happy, pleasant, and funny people are more successful at work and in life.