Kick Your Fears In The Face And Overcome Them

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” – Henry Ford

Were you that kid in school who was afraid to raise their hand or speak up in class? I was.
I was the kid who hoped I wouldn’t be called out to read a books chapter, a paragraph or share my thoughts.
I was afraid of being the center of attention you could say. But that’s a lie in itself.
In all honesty I was afraid of what others would think or say about me.
That was my biggest fear. That’s the reason I’d back down from situations like that and even try to avoid them. As If my life would be in danger If I did it.
I was like that throughout my entire school years up until I left. I was carrying those fears around for quite a long time before I decided to throw them away for good.
It wasn’t until I was in college that I started to change in regards to how I respond to my fears. And most of all, my fear of what others thought about me.
Kinda sad, right? Maybe. But I’ve come to learn that’s how everybody is in the beginning. Regardless of age. Whether it be:

• Public speaking.
• Speaking in front of a class of people.
• Sharing your designs online.
• Sharing your opinions, thoughts and writing online.
• Being on camera.
• Dancing.
• Singing.
• Posting pictures online.
• Meeting new people.
• Communicating in social situations.
• Speaking your mind.

And so on. We’re all afraid of something. Our fears are so overwhelming we avoid them as if our lives would be at risk.
But avoiding them and dodging them won’t help you get over your fears. That will only strengthen them, grow them, and make your fears scarier than they should be.
Here are 3 steps to kick your fears in the face and overcome them, every time.

1. Get logical. 

When I was that kid in high school who was too afraid to raise his hand and speak up, I was being emotional.
When I was too afraid to speak up in class in front of others, I was being emotional. And that’s because it was all in my head.
I was making sense of my fears and letting my fears be bigger than I am, instead of looking past my fears. Like a coward.
Every fear I’ve struggled with at first was a result of emotion, NOT logic. And that’s the solution.
[note]No matter the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.[/note]
As the above picture says, the majority of your problems, in this case your fears, are made up scenarios in your head.
Being as confident as I am today, I realize all the things I was afraid of aren’t things to be afraid of. It was all an illusion. It was all emotion.
To overcome your fears, ask questions like:

1. Will my life be in danger if I do this?
2. Will this affect my health?
3. What are the disadvantages of doing this vs the advantages?
4. What’s the worst that could happen to me?
5. What are the benefits?

These are logical questions which make you realize the facts behind your fears. And when you realize what’s factual and what isn’t, there will be nothing to hold you back.
When you do the thing you’re afraid to do, all that fear vanishes into the air. And you feel SO much better afterwards.

2. Stop thinking about it.

I spent years thinking about starting a business and working for myself. That’s right, I wasted a whole lot of fucking time thinking about it.
I let the thought of what others might think about me starting a business hinder my actions. Because apparently it’s a stupid thing to do, right?
I guess that’s the way I grew up and that’s the type of bullshit I was spoon fed by the masses.
It wasn’t until 2012-2013 that I decided to go all IN and focus on making it happen. Since then, I tend to act much more quickly and spend less time thinking about it.
I can handle and deal with my fears a lot quicker as a result.

Get out of your own head.

Notice how it’s so easy to think about something but that much harder to do it?
The brain is always thinking, 24/7. That’s why it’s so effortless for us to do it. But the problems start when you make a habit of thinking and NOT doing.
So what’s the solution? Ask yourself….

1. Will my situation improve by just THINKING about it?
2. Am I benefiting from NOT taking action?
3. What are the pros and cons of facing my fears?
4. Is it really that much of a big deal?
5. Will hesitation hinder me from my goals?

Looking at those questions logically, you’ll know in your heart which decisions are the right ones to make.
So don’t be overcome by your fears when in reality there’s no real danger to be afraid of.

3. Be consistent.

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently. ― Anthony Robbins

Scared people are inconsistent people. If you’re scared of something it’s because you’re inconsistent with the thing you’re scared of.
I never used to be as confident when talking to girls as I am today. Why? Because I was inconsistent with girls, that’s why!

• I never went out of my way to talk first.
• I was hesitant.
• Fearful.
• I made up BS stories in my head.
• I didn’t know what to say.
• I was unsure of how they’d react.
• I was stubborn to make the first move.
• I let my fears almost strangle me to death,

I became confident around girls the moment I decided to be consistent with girls. The same rule applies to all areas of life.
If you intend to get over your fears:

1. Be consistent.
2. Be relentless.
3. Practice often.
4. Never stop.
5. Never quit.
6. Keep pushing.
7. Take excessive amounts of action.
8. Don’t get too comfortable.

Floyd Mayweather isn’t the greatest boxer in the world because of luck. He’s the best boxer in the world because he’s consistent, he practices often and he’s relentless.
Results happen in stages. The more committed you are the more growth you’re bound to see over the long run.

Summary of this post:

1. Get logical and ask logical questions.
2. Stop thinking and start doing.
3. Be consistent, relentless, and don’t stop.

Wednesday, 27 July 2016