When You're Feeling Fear You Can Do It Anyway

A free article on Personal Development

By: John Halderman

Do you get overtaken by fear when faced with something new and different? I think we all have at some point and to some degree, some even to the point of inaction. When your fearful feelings have directed you to change your behavior, you have unknowingly chosen to allow the fear to be in control. When actually fear is not and cannot do anything to you, rather you are giving these feelings this power. It is all in your mind, you have total command of your thought and your feelings. You allow these feelings to run their course based on unconscious programming deep in your mind. Learning to handle these automatic thought cycles will greatly enhance your personal growth and development efforts along with your happiness in life.

When you get the fear feelings based on doubt, worry and uncertainty you choose to allow these thoughts to roil around in your head. You choose how you interpret them and how you react to them. A fearful thought does not come pre-packaged with a specific set of feelings and behavioral commands. Those too are of your choosing.

When you let yourself remain in the fear, you are choosing to have the fear guide your actions. It's a logical progression to react to the fear feelings based on how most of us have developed our perceptions around fear. But when you realize that you have created the whole cycle in your mind, you can begin to see that you have ultimate command over the whole cycle. You can change this existing cycle of perception, interpretation and reaction to one that is more supportive of the life you want.

Dr. Author Wayne Dyer is credited with saying, "When you change the way you look at things, the way you look at things changes". He is referring to your perception, which may appear at first to be totally automatic but it's not. Well it is and it isn't! It is automatic as it functions now, but you have the ability to change it and have it automatically be different. Just because you now, as most do, react to worry, doubt and uncertainty with fear thoughts does not mean this is the only way or that it must be this way.

So how did your perceptions, interpretations and reactions get the way they are? And why does it seem that this is just the way they should be? Because you were taught these things by those you were around as you grew up. You took on the perceptions, interpretations and reactions of those who provided the greatest impression on you as you grew up. Your mind is accustomed to doing this since it was how it was in the environment you grew up in and were unaware that you were being essentially programmed. You learn this without question when all of the people you are around do it that way. Their way becomes your way.

This is how your behavior and that of groups, families and societies is formed and why it appears to be 'normal'. And the fact that many people behave in a certain way does not make it the best way, many times it is just the easiest way. It is easier to conform than to take a unique path. You don't have to remain stuck in the mode of allowing fear thoughts to control your actions. You have command of your thinking so you can change the whole cycle or mental chain of events that occurs with fear. Initially the thoughts of doubt, and some uncertainty are normal when you are facing something new, different or challenging but you don't need to let the heightened feelings well up and create this big fear thing that you then cater to.

You can change the way you look at doubt, worry and uncertainty. They are just certain thoughts questioning what you are about to do. "Am I prepared?" "What if ____?" "Maybe I won't remember?" "How will they react?" "How do I look?" These are mostly logical concerns about what you are about to do and if you can answer them logically, without emotion, you can clear them up and soothe your mind. Some you can specifically answer and check off the list and others you will determine you can't do anything about, so you do not concern yourself with it any more. Choose to leave out the doom and gloom thoughts, the "I can't" thoughts that are not part of the original concerns - they are your reaction to those thoughts.

Just because you are concerned with how you look, dies not mean you should stop from doing it. Just because you are wondering if you are prepared or not does not mean to turn and run. Just because you have not done this before does not mean you can't. You interpretation and reaction to the logical progression of thought leading up to your planned action is what causes you to freeze up. But even when you allow the feeling of fear to well up over these thoughts, still does not mean you must behave in a certain way. You can proceed with the fear, don't interpret the fear feelings as a stop sign. Just acknowledge those feelings and move on. Accept them, realize how they come about and let them be. Fearful thoughts and feelings by themselves cannot do anything to you, only when you choose to react to them do they. Choose not to react to them in ways that have you suffering and keep you from what you want.

It's your life, live it your way. Every day is a good day for personal growth and development.

Information about the Author:

John Halderman supports people seeking more happiness and fulfillment with a deeper understanding of life. get free newsletter and 34 page report, www.designalifesystem.com

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