Fear can be the major obstacle that prevents us from accomplishing our goals. Learn how to identify your fears and take actionable steps to overcome them.
Remember the reality TV series where we were all glued to the set watching, pulse-racing, “Fear Factor” contestants decide if they had the guts and determination to face their most primal fears. If they completed their task they advanced. If fear stopped them from completing a stunt or they failed the mission, they were immediately eliminated.
What fear is stopping you from completing your task?
In order to answer the above question, first, we have to identify our fears, bring them out of the dark and into the light.
Remember when you were a young child and as soon as you went to bed and turned out the lights, the monsters hidden in your closet and under the bed came out? Or maybe your monsters were like mine, and when you looked up through the shades of the bedroom window the street monsters rose up in enormous proportions and spooked you outside your window. Much is the same with our fears. When we are busy and occupied with the busyness of our day-to-day life, we push aside the Monsters that are lurking in the shadows. Yet, underneath, their haunting voices are screaming inside our head. Those “voices” are your FEAR FACTORS!
In order to move past your fears, you first must identify them. The “unknown” Fear is by far the largest Monster who has the ability to enlarge and fill whatever space he is allowed. He also has the capacity to take over not only our physical space, but also our mind, and then begins his daily treadmill routine, regurgitating the same thoughts over and over again in our head.
Did it ever occur to you to turn on the lights?
When you courageously bring your fears into the light, you’ll be able to see the “monster” for what it really is. When we take a closer look and examine our fears, we get a clearer picture, which automatically reduces our fears.
It is our limiting beliefs, our thoughts that keep us small and stuck and “afraid” to move forward.
The first step to stop this vicious cycle of rumination is: AWARENESS
Having a conversation with what we are afraid of is called enlightenment.
By definition, enlightenment is two-fold:
- Casts light on something so you can see it clearly; it allows you to be aware of something that you were previously not aware of.
- Relief of a heavy weight in which you are now lightened.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could see your fear for really what it is and simultaneously be relieved of the heaviness that you are carrying around because of it?
Here are 3 steps to help you bring your fear into the light and reduce the burden of them.
- Sit down and write out the situation longhand, then ask yourself:
- what am I afraid of? Name the fear!
- Apply TLR (Truth Logic and Reason), to reduce the behavior even further. Under your named fear write:
- TLR
- Now write out the truth, logic, and reason for the fear
- Write the result of applying the TLR
- The result is usually an ACTION item!
- What are the small baby steps that you can do to move through the new reduced “fear?”
When we bring our fears from the unknown to the known, we can identify them and name them. By working through the TLR process, we are no longer allowing our fears to control us, but we are taking charge of our fears, and therefore our life!
FEAR FACTOR: will you complete your MISSION?
Reflections:
- Do I want to continue giving power to my fears? If not…. Take time, call upon your fierce courage to:
- Write out the top 3 fears you are facing today
- Apply the TLR factors to each of the fears identified
For assistance in identifying and overcoming your fears, contact Sandy to book a session today!
