Chapter 1 Personal Fears
Part 1: Why Fear Limits Your Life Potential
Have you ever felt like fear was preventing you from reaching your full potential in life? If so, you are certainly not alone because fear is one of the biggest obstacles that many people face when trying to create better life circumstances.
Below are some of the most common ways that fear can hold you back:
Fear can prevent you from making positive changes.
Sometimes fear can make even the smallest changes seem extremely uncomfortable. For example, you may be deeply dissatisfied with your job, but feel nervous or uncertain about finding and applying for a better one. Or you may have always dreamed of buying your own home but worry that the responsibility would be too much to handle.
Fear can prevent you from breaking destructive habits.
We all know that smoking, poor dietary choices, excessive alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle are a recipe for health problems, but we often gravitate toward these habits because they help numb our anxious or fearful feelings. If you have ever tried to break a bad habit like this, you know how stressful it can be because suddenly you are filled with anxiety and you don‘t know how to handle it except to run back to your "pacifiers" " the very habits you are trying to break.
Fear can prevent you from taking risks.
Many of us shy away from risk because we fear negative consequences. For example, you may hesitate to invest your money because you fear losing it, or avoid starting a new relationship because you were so hurt by the last one. What most of us fail to realize is that risk can also bring great rewards. Avoiding risk may help us avoid negative possibilities but we also miss the excitement and joy that come from positive outcomes.
Fear can prevent you from pursuing your goals.
Have you ever dreamed of doing something great but were never able to push yourself to do it? Perhaps you dreamed of being a stand"up comedian but dreaded the thought of public speaking, or you desperately wanted to be a bestselling author but were too afraid to pen that novel lurking inside of you.
Fear can prevent you from expanding your life.
Social anxiety is another common way that fear can limit your potential. It may prevent you from attending networking functions so your career or business can‘t grow properly, or you may avoid taking that much needed vacation to relax and explore other cultures because you fear flying or being on a cruise ship.
How to Stop Fear from Limiting Your Potential
It‘s important to note that all of these fears are most often groundless. They are merely a perception that things "could" go wrong " but that doesn‘t mean they will.
Rather than trying to force your way through the fear, you may find it easier to explore the many ways that fear can be effectively released from your mind, emotions, and body. When you know how to release the fear, you simply handle it as you would any minor obstacle and then continue on your way to creating the best life you possibly can.