“What do you fear, lady?” [Aragorn] asked.
“A cage,” [Éowyn] said. “To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Everyone is afraid of something. It could be death, rejection, failure, losing your job, getting bankrupt, water, heights or creepy crawlies among other things. Some people are even afraid of success. Fear is a reaction triggered by the need to defend ourselves from anything that threatens our mental or physical safety and can make us do the extreme. In cases of extreme reaction to this emotion people go into a state of phobia.
Very often fear is closely related to anxiety. Even the bravest people get crippled by panic and anxiety. But to come out strong we all must learn to stand up to and face the qualms that plague our thoughts and lives.
So what can you do when fear cripples you?
First of all, BREATHE because breathing is the only thing you can do when fear pays a visit. According to Julliane Locke of the Elephant journal, “What we need to do is call it by its rightful name—bullshit. Fear = Bullshit.” Right! So much more easier said than done but nonetheless, if you really know how much fear chokes your creativity and productivity then you would never be reading this article.
Whatever it is you are afraid of, face it, If it is an immediately life threatening situation that brings about it then accept the obvious outcome and strategise on how to make the emerging consequence work best for you regardless of the package it comes in.
Fear should not be a deterrent in your life. Allow it to be an extra motivation that ensures you succeed, take care of yourself and the people you love.
To your success,
Susan Delano Swim