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Fear – Why are you Here?

by Nanci Bradley

Fear is one of the most universal human experiences out there – we all feel it even if it is at different times and in different ways. But we are also told to face our fears – to push through them and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment on the other side.

And I am 100% on board with that! This is such an important part of self growth and creating the life we dream about. 

But there are also times when our fear is completely valid and is communicating something important to us. 

Sometimes, the difference between these types of fears is obvious – for example, the fear of public speaking. 

But other times it is harder to distinguish – for example, am I afraid of this person because my subconscious is noticing something is wrong or because I am afraid of being emotionally intimate with people?

What is Fear?

We all know it, in one way or another. That sensation inside ourselves that says ‘this is dangerous!’ that causes our whole body to shift into fight, flight or freeze – ready to face the danger in whatever way we can.

This danger is more than just physical – it can be emotional, social or mental danger as well. The fear that you will embarrass yourself in front of a crowd is just one example of how potential social danger can result in fear. 

For some people, it is more uncommon. Popping up when they are approaching something big and new, that could potentially be dangerous. Others feel it every single day, it is their close companion following them into every interaction with the world. Their mind spotting danger wherever it goes.

(If you are in a constant state of fear, I would highly recommend seeing a professional to help you in this journey, as working with these fears is best done with the help of a support system and with advice that is tailored to your specific situation)

Why we need it

When something is actually dangerous to us – fear is the most important emotion to have! It is a bright, neon sign from our body that something is wrong in this situation and we may need to do something about it.

But over time, the situations we need to be afraid of have changed, but often our biological and psychological response has not.

Evaluating if the Fear is Valid

This process will look different for everyone, but at the core it is all about self reflection. Stepping away from the situation, whether in the moment or later, and asking yourself ‘what was I afraid of?’

Your mind might take you on a journey through insignificant details first, but eventually you will dive deeply enough to find the reason you were truly afraid. And from that point, you will need to decide how the thing you were afraid of at the moment is going to decide your next step.

There are so many possibilities from this point I could never write them all down, but I will give a few examples:

  • Reason for fear – that person acted in a similar way to an unhealthy person from my past, my fear was of both that past person and the feelings they caused.
    • Decision – now that I am aware of this, it may be time to gain some distance so I don’t fall back into unhealthy patterns.
  • Reason for fear – I was unsure how that person would react to what I planned to tell them, the unknown outcome was causing fear.
    • Decision – how important is what I have to say to this person, is it going to help my growth? If it is then I may need to say it anyway and trust myself to be able to cope with any outcome.
  • Reason for fear – my planned actions had the potential to cause judgement from the people around me, my fear was of social embarrassment.
    • Decision – this action is an important part of my self growth, if I let others define my future I will never be able to create the life of my dreams.

Facing these Fears

After evaluating whether these fears are valid, and if you decide that they are not. It is time to feel the fear and do the thing anyway!

In our journey of growth and improvement, we are going to face many obstacles and situations that are new to us, and therefore uncomfortable in some way. But if they are important to us, and our inner wisdom is telling us that this is the best path forward. Then it is definitely time to move through the fear and towards your dreams.

With each new thing that we do, we prove to ourselves that we are capable of more than we ever thought. And with each new thing we do, we grow more and more confident in our ability to continue moving forward into our limitless self.

My own story is an example of this, as I moved from afraid to order a coffee and needing 5 minutes just to prepare myself, to being able to walk into almost any social situation with confidence in my abilities. And when something new does come up, with some fear alongside it, I know that by moving forward and facing the fear, I will feel even more confident and accomplished than I did the day before.

Conclusion

Fear is so important, it definitely plays an important role in all of our lives, but when it steps out of that role and prevents you from moving forward into the dream life you are creating, it is time to begin pushing through it and facing your fears. Give yourself the credit that you deserve, you are so much more capable than you could ever imagine!

Begin your journey today!

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