Own Your Fears Before You Can Own Your Dreams

Any person with ambition, in any walk of life, faces fear. It is the force that has shattered the dreams of many determined men and women that aimed high in life. But why is fear effective? Because we let it control us. We give it more power than it actually has. To ensure success, one must never bow down to fear. One must own their fears.

Who do I think I am to encourage you to master your fears and take control of your destiny?

The truth? Someone who is in the same situation you are in. I too have dreams and goals. People who strive for success encounter similar setbacks. And it is why I understand just as well as you do, the effect that discouragement has on one’s ambition.

I am not another negative mindset telling you to stop, shut up and submit to all the undesirable pressures that life subjects you to. The world already has an abundant supply of those kinds of people. And how have those kinds of people helped you make progress? How have they helped the world?

The journey towards achieving success is no doubt a tough one. If you feel afraid, congratulations, you are normal. But the worst injustice you can do to yourself and your dream is to submit to your fears.

So here is a 4-step process in mastering your fears, that works every time you feel the chills when trying to get ahead in life.

The first step is to understand what kind of fear you are facing.

Never skip this step. Because before you begin medication of any kind, it will save your life to know exactly what kind of disease you are suffering from.

Common fears include The fear of not knowing what to do. The fear of feeling unprepared. The fear of things not working out. The fear of ridicule. The fear of rejection. The fear of commitment. The fear that you are aiming higher than you could possibly reach.

This is but a small set of common fears most dreamers face. And as you can tell, dealing with each fear would need a different approach.

The second step is to find its root cause.

So many fears can be dealt with if the root cause is discovered. Sometimes the fear is nothing more than the result of some situation you are in or an event that took place. In which case, it will be easier to deal with the fear immediately. It’s similar to how you solve the problem of water overflowing. Just turn off the tap.

Pay close attention to that fear which paralyzes you. Could it be caused by the fact that you are surrounded by negative influences who talk down on you? Making you hesitate every time you decide to pursue an idea?

Then the remedy for that is simple. Just stay away from them. Surround yourself with positive influencers who make taking action a habit.

The next step is to read.

This is the broadest and most impactful way of dealing with fear. It is to read books, articles, and even watch documentaries about the dreamers who went before you in your industry.

Why? Because they are evidence that success in YOUR industry… CAN BE ACHIEVED.

Furthermore, they will most likely provide tons of useful tips, tricks, and techniques that you could very easily apply to your struggles, thus eliminating most of your fears.

Reading will save you years or even decades of unnecessary trial and error. This is such a powerful strategy, one can only wonder why most haven’t made reading a part of their daily habits.

Trust me, you aren’t the first person to struggle to succeed. Why would you think that your struggles are so unique that no one ever had to go through what you go through now?

Why would you not seek the answer to your problem if it existed in a book? How else would you want the answer to your problem to come to you? In a dream?

Do yourself a favor and gain the knowledge you need to get you focusing on making progress. Stop figuring things out on your own. Stop asking people who are near you but have never succeeded in your walk of life. Seek the counsel of the successful men and women… who write about it.

Last but not least, you need to take action.

Now that you have identified your fear. Now that you know its root cause. Now that you have learned that men and women have gone before you conquering those very challenges you faced… what will you do?

Look. Even I sometimes wish my troubles would vanish into thin air without having to lift a finger. Sadly, I am no magician. The most effective way to tackle issues is to just tackle issues. Do something with the knowledge and wisdom you have acquired about your industry and the associated fears.

You see, even medicine’s true aim is to help your own immune system combat diseases more effectively. Without an immune system, most medication plans are completely useless, no matter how effective the medicine is on other people.

The rest is always up to you. I know my fears. I know the root causes of many of them. I read a lot about success and the challenges people face. Doing all this gives me the courage I need to do what matters. Which is the final and most important step.

I will always be afraid of venturing outside my comfort zone. But never will I let that fear cripple me from going out anyway. Because my desire to succeed… outweighs my fear of failing.

#makeProgressNotExcuses