FEAR

Fear, in its literal sense, means a feeling of distress, apprehension or anxiety caused by impending danger, pain etc. It is the danger we feel when we are faced with an uncertain situation and think that it is out of our control and that there is no escape.

Fear is one of the most common emotions in man, and is normal and even a healthy part of life to a certain extent, as it can help us to avoid danger. However, it becomes unhealthy and limiting if left uncontrolled. If allowed to take over a person's psychological state, fear can become an obstacle and hinders his success by influencing his major and day-to-day decisions in a negative manner.

We commonly feel fear from new things and situations we have never faced before, or thought we could never face in life. Even when a person feels fear, he is often afraid to feel the fear and admit that he is afraid, which is sometimes called "worrying about your worries." And if a person's fears take over him, it could also lead to death in extreme cases. This can be verified through the following incident that took place on July 26, 1970, when a four year child, who had had a bad experience with an anesthetic for taking out stitches from her forehead, went to a dentist to have her baby teeth extracted and started screaming hysterically in the dentist's chair. After being given a sedative in order to pacify her for examination, the child had a heart attack within a few minutes after having her teeth removed. She was rushed to the hospital where she died two days later. Later, the cause of the heart attack was identified to be high levels of adrenaline in her veins which was the result of the fear caused in the child from the dentist (published in New York Times, July 26, 1970, entitled"Child's Death in London Laid to Fear of Dentist.". This clearly shows the destructive and catastrophic effects of fear on a person's mind.

Someone once described FEAR in an acronym:False Expectations Appearing Real. What we call fear is not actually real; it is our psychological perception of different things, and merely our imagination regarding something dreadful which has not occurred yet. We rarely perform or do something from which we feel fear, so there is often no way to ascertain if our fear is justified or not, and more often than not, people step back or hesitate from taking those steps that could lead to success or self-fulfillment.

Even though the effects and consequences of fear have been proved and found to be negative and destructive in nature, it is a vital part of our lives due to the fact that FEAR provides the driving force and energy to do your best in new or uncertain situations. Most of the time we mistake this positive driving force for fear and don't approve of it or like it, as a result of which we fail to give it our best. If we use our energy and fear positively and in the right direction, it is possible to conquer almost any realistic goal a person sets for himself. There is no stopping him then.

Fear is often misinterpreted as a hurdle in most cases, but in reality, if we truly go in depth and confront our fears and look them in the face, they are actually the biggest motivators a person can rely on. However, in order to utilize our fears to the best use, we must learn from them continuously and never let them influence the decisions we make and steps we take that are needed to reach our goals and pursue our dreams. We must deal with our fears if we are to succeed in life. Don't engage and bind yourself in doubt by asking yourself questions such as: Will I able to do it? Do I have the ability to do this?, Would it make me look good? Etc. Instead, assure yourself by making use of positive and affirmative statements such as: I CAN DO IT! And I AM LEAVING THESE FEARS BEHIND ME. This would provide you with the necessary confidence and boost that you need for a certain situation. If these are not enough, you must try some powerful, all-purpose affirmation statements such as "I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy." Positive self-talk and believing in yourself can go a long way in helping you to overcome your barriers and doubts causing you to succeed in life and making you a better and self-satisfied person.