Are Your Fears Holding You Back?

Fear, a basic instinct designed with the sole purpose of human survival is also an emotion that can hold you back from reaching your goals and levels of success in your career - or even in school. Taking risks is a part of everyday life but can hinder you if you become fearful of the unknown. Be honest with yourself, how often do you say no to something just because you are fearful of what you think could happen?

There are 5 types of fears and either one (or a combination) may be holding you back.

1. Feeling inadequate – Do you fear you are not good enough or lack the skills to pursue your dreams? You can overcome this fear by knowing and understanding your importance in a particular area of your life.
2. The unknown – Do you have the common fear of the unknown? You can overcome this fear by having a vision for yourself and your future.
3. FOMO – Fear of Missing Out is when you wish you were doing what others are doing because it looks better than what you’re doing. This type of fear is a distraction that can keep you from forming real relationships.
4. Change – Fear of change can steal your joy and peace. To overcome this fear, take time to enjoy the moment you are in. Doing this can help you appreciate your life and relationships in a deeper manner.
5. Being judged – No one wants to be judged by others and being vulnerable opens you up for the possibility of being judged. Adam Kirk Smith, Author of “The Bravest You” says “embrace your personal story” to overcome this fear.

Fear can become so crippling that it can hold you back from your true potential. It is impossible to live a completely fear-free life however, you can adopt ways to overcome the fears that life will present to you. The important thing to remember is to be open and honest with yourself about your fears. You can journal any fears that you may have which will help you to overcome them. Most fears come from the unknown or just having the thought of taking a risk. No one wants to be judged so it's understanding how one may want to avoid these types of situations but it's important to understand that lack of self-esteem or self-confidence could be an underlying cause of such fears. 

Once you are ready to overcome your fears, you want to establish a purpose for taking a risk; by doing this, you can remove that fear. Knowing what your purpose is will help you to overcome many fears in life. Purpose and meaning in life can help you move past your fears and guide you along your life's journey.

Another step you can take to overcome your fears is to introduce positive affirmations when you are faced with a fear. Knowing where you are and what you want can help you move from a state of fear to a position of success. 

Finally, understand that not all fear is negative, some can actually save your life and help you through a life-or-death situation.  According to PsychologyToday.com, "Real fear can save our lives, embrace it. Manufactured fear divides us, let it go. And be sure to give fear the attention it needs so you can distinguish between the two."