Fears are NOT facts… but we can choose to turn our fears into the functional equivalent of facts when we act as if they are true.

Five ways toward facing down our fears:

  1. Stay in the present, do NOT “time travel”. Most of our fears deal with things that have yet to happen; beyond basic good planning, do not drain your energy on “what if’s”, focus on the here and now.
  2. Go Grey: Fears tend to see the world black or white which it rarely is; consider the many possible variations of outcomes and the multitude of potential ways you can positively impact them.
  3. Consider the WORST; find a way to deal/live with it; all else becomes upside. During the Great Recession, I thought through the ultimate financial disaster scenario in my head, decided I could choose to still be happy the other side of the storm. That realization eased my mind and helped me calmly deal with what I faced in the current moment.
  4. Know that others have survived and you to will too.
  5. RELEASE! Think of yourself as a mountain climber and fears as BIG, HEAVY rocks in your backpack, weighing you down, exhausting you. You wonder what fool decided to bring these useless things on a climb to the top. Visualize the immediate sense of relief, the surge of energy flowing over you as you release the straps; feel your emotional load lighten, an immense burden tumbling away.

Closing Quotes:

“Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.” – Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936

“The experience of overcoming fear is extraordinarily delightful.” – Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 1872-1970

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks, 1913-2005

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” – Frank Herbert, 1920-1986

As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier