“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. “ --- Michael Jordan

“I drew my strength from fear. Fear of losing. I don't remember the games I won, only the games I lost.” --- Boris Becker

Fear can be a an obstacle that delays or prevents you from living the life that you want. It can be paralyzing, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re only really stuck when you are struggling against the fear, rather than working with your strengths to overcome the fear.  The real truth is that at one time or another, we all experience and are driven by fear.

Fear is natural. It can be used to your benefit when you take some time to think about your fear and what it is really about.
When you actually spend some time thinking about your fears, you may realize that you are about to make a major decision or change in your life and you have not adequately planned for it. Or, perhaps you don’t feel like you have enough support.

Perhaps too, without fear, you might not seek out useful help and advice from friends, family and trusted counselors. Helpful feedback from those people who are important to you can help to set you on the right path.

Fear can also help us to identify and go after our real desires, rather than feeling trapped or stuck. But, first you’ll have to understand where it is coming from. What is the reason for your fear? Some possible reasons might be:

 - Fear of rejection
 - Fear of looking stupid
 - Fear of failure
 - Fear of success
 - Fear of being inadequate
 - Fear of not having enough

With fear, one of the most important ideas to keep in your mind is that nobody can tell you to feel a certain way. How you feel is up to you! It’s not about blocking out the fear, but finding a way to work with it.

For instance, if you are fearing rejection then you might find a way to provide support and safety for yourself after you go through with the event or activity that you fear. This could be a simple as having a friend to talk with, after you make a an important call that you have been worrying about. It’s about acknowledging your fear and finding a way to safely step forward.


“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's precisely why I succeed''. --- Michael Jordan

Bookmark: