You can’t enjoy life or make any reasonable progress in it if you are controlled by fear, especially of the things that need not be feared. How many times in your life have you eventually come to a realization that something you once feared was not worth all the worry if only you knew then what you knew later? I have had a few of those moments myself and sometimes I feel kind of silly about it.
A word on fear
Fear is a natural response and I don’t think I know anyone that doesn’t have some form of it. Only that some are better at dealing with, or hiding it better than others. On the upside, however, it is a response that can be especially beneficial. Like in times of danger, because its presence informs our decisions so that we act in ways that keep us safe.
It is when we allow fear complete control of our actions that it becomes a damaging habit that prevents us from making progress.
“How many times in your life have you eventually come to a realization that something you once feared was not worth all the worry if only you knew then what you knew later?”
Knowledge is said to be power for a reason.
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
It is, however, not just about having all the information, but about the ability to make systematic use of it- to act on it, and according to it in ways that will be beneficial. As we gain knowledge about the world around us or what lies ahead of us, we are always better able to understand and better equipped to conquer our fears.
For instance, one very limiting fear is, fear of the unknown- and its remedy is always found in increasing the ‘known’. You will find that the more you gather the information you need about what lies ahead, the better you will be at properly evaluating your circumstances and options, and the less fear controls your actions.
This is always empowering because you are making evaluations based on facts and not speculation (fear!).
No doubt fear can be a complex emotion, still, the more related knowledge/information you gather the more your understanding increases and the less daunting whatever it is you are facing becomes. With that increased understanding you are well on your way to conquering your fear because you are now in a position to:
- identify its source,
- understanding how it works,
- eliminate whatever feeds it (like, ignorance), and finally
- break it’s cycle.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash