Looking at the word fear, you might think of your own terrors like spiders, ghosts, snakes, isolation, heights, etc. Everyone has a fear of their own. It is almost inevitable not to have one growing up throughout your life. The formal definition of fear is an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
As terrifying as that sounds, when I see the word fear, I think of it as playing a role in blocking us from achieving goals/desires we want to pursue. It is a concept that amazes me when thinking of how a word, or mindset, can be the factor that prevents us from doing the things that we want in our lives.
I can recall the times I let fear get in the way of the things I wanted to do which placed me in a what-if type of world. My biggest regret would be letting fear get in the way of opportunities that could have been beneficial for my education and personal life. All I would do is look back and think about what could have gone differently if I had just pushed myself out of my comfort zone and gone for what I wanted. Moments when I was too scared to participate in performances because of the possibility of messing up. Moments when I missed out on job opportunities because I was afraid it would be too stressful. Or, even moments when I was afraid to make new friendships or connections with others. Moreover, these life experiences were altered specifically because of my worries. I allowed myself to live in fear of the unknown and continuously thought about how it could affect myself and my life if I went after it. Having a mindset filled with overthinking thoughts and anxiety makes you take a step back because of that fear overtaking your capabilities.
However, growing up, I realized that allowing yourself to stay stuck in the past of what you could have done prevents you from progressing forward. As difficult as it may seem, do not let fear be your deciding factor in reaching for what you aspire to have or whatever is best for you. We are only human and will encounter events or obstacles that will put us in fear for quite some time. Nevertheless, we should not stay stuck in that fear but instead work through it to move forward.
Understand and reason with your fears to overcome them because the more you don't come to terms with what's stopping you from your goals, the more those blockages will come into play. A quote from Deepak Chopra that I viewed as significant stated, "If you try to get rid of fear and anger without knowing their meaning, they will grow stronger and return." Every fear has an underlying meaning, so realizing what's causing it can be another component for overcoming fear.
In conclusion, awareness regarding how much fear can take over your life has been one of my biggest realizations for self-fulfillment. It can be a burden on your achievements to allow that mindset the right to control you will only make your blockages worse. Start by digging into your beginning causes of fear, and practice learning how to ease your state of mind instead of overthinking or thinking negatively. With constant practice, you can trail yourself onto an optimistic pathway to new opportunities and experiences for your lifetime.
Works Cited
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear
https://www.audible.com/blog/quotes-fear
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