Never allow fear cripple you even if it is a basic human emotion

“If you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing
what a great person you might have been.”
-Robert H. Schuller

It is a rare person who has never experienced fear; everyone gets gripped with fear some time or the other. Fear is the basic human emotion people experience on a daily basis.

Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of criticism. Fear of being imperfect. Fear of change. Fear to take risks. Even fear of success.

Fear has always been the biggest stumbling block to success. More people are held back by fear than by any other factor. As Mike Jones has rightly pointed out- "A mind focused on doubt and fear cannot focus on the journey to victory."

Fear confines you to your comfort zone and prevents you from stepping out and unleashing your full potential. It is fear that makes you avoid risks and keeps you chained to your limiting beliefs thus hurting your odds of winning even before the game begins.

Fear surfaces for everyone. The difference lies in how people react to it. And this response to fear can mean the difference between success and failure in life. There are some who succumb to their fear and others who brace themselves to confront it.

While the former get stuck and deny themselves opportunities to succeed, the latter get through it efficiently by taking a determined action to overcome it.

One of the things that distinguish highly successful people from the rest is their tenacity not to let their fears hold them back from reaching their goals. They face their fears head on, conquer them and move beyond them.

Olivia Newton John, best known for her role of a high school sweetheart in the musical film ‘Grease’ who also successfully battled cancer, said it best- “Once you face your fear, nothing is ever as hard as you think.”

Whatever your fear may be, don’t let it cripple you. The truth is- most fears live only in your imagination. Mark Twain has aptly expressed it as- “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”

Fear is a big obstacle in your path to success and conquering your fear can be as easy as you make it. Remember, no one is born with fear. You acquire it over the years. There is, then, much truth in the wise words of Karl Augustus Menninger- “Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.”

The best approach to surmount your fears is by acknowledging them. Be mentally strong and look at fear right in the face. Don’t submit to your fears. Address them, challenge them and deal with them. Visualize yourself in your mind confronting your fear and overcoming it.

Eleanor Roosevelt was right on target about fear when she stated, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Fear will always be a part of life. But you can alter your reaction to it. You can reprogram yourself and change how you view fear.

Erica Jong, the famous American poet and novelist has brilliantly summed it up as- “I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted fear as part of life specifically fear of change and fear of the unknown; and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart.”

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle got it right. “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” So conquer your fears and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

The Author is a Motivational counselor, Speaker, Ophthalmologist, and Author of 'Principles of Success Made Easy-14 Easy Steps to Climb the Ladder of Success'