Conquer Fears to Dream the Big Dream

Fear is a dominating force in life. For most people, fear holds them back from many aspects of life. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of hardship, fear in general all influence so many of the choices we make. But fear is an elusive thing. It is neither tangible nor is it real. Fear may not be real but it is very much present. Unfortunately, so many of us allow fear to dominate our lives and let it control our fate. When you give in to fear and allow it to be the decision maker in your life, you give up control of your choices and your happiness.

The amazing thing about fear is that, although it is not a real, tangible entity, its effects shape almost every facet of our lives. We are essentially afraid of being afraid. The first step to regaining control of your life, your dreams, and your happiness is to identify what it is you are afraid of. Sit down with your choices, physically make a list of possible benefits and possible risks. The amazing thing about most choices in life it that the benefits, or potential for happiness, usually far outweigh any potential risks. Usually what seemed so scary and insurmountable before was really just a fear of fear. We allowed our fear of the unknown get in the way of potential happiness.

Many times what stops us from achieving our goals and dreams is a fear of failure. We are so afraid of not being successful in our endeavors that we opt not to try. However, failure is a subjective term. We must ask ourselves, What is the worst that could happen? Usually the worst-case scenario is not really a failure. The only true failure is giving up. Because we have complete control over whether we give up or not, failure is an option. Eliminating failure as an choice eliminates the fear of it.

So much of what stops us from achieving true happiness is insecurity with our talents and abilities. We have been so accustomed to thinking that we are not good enough, smart enough, talented enough, or bright enough that we fail to even try. The most important step in conquering fear and achieving your dreams is putting aside your insecurities. Insecurity is the killer of dreams. Fortunately, we are in complete control of our insecurities. Like fear, insecurity is a completely made up concept. We choose to allow ourselves to feel negatively about certain aspects of our being. You have a choice to put insecurities out of your mind and focus on the positives. Identifying and developing the qualities that make you special and great is a choice to be happy and unafraid.

Fear keeps us from the things we want. We often feel that fear is a paralyzing force in our lives that cannot be overcome. However, fear is a product of our minds. Choosing to focus on the positive and believe in your abilities will allow you to make decisions based on the potential for happiness rather than the potential for fear.