Seth Godin’s Advice on How to Deal With Your Fears
A little fear is healthy. It can help you instinctively protect yourself from harm. It might help you recognize when you are about to do something dangerous, and it might help you make a safer choice.
But you can be scared of things that aren’t dangerous, like public speaking. Your fear of speaking in public may prevent you from advancing your career, and it can be frustrating. If you really want to go on vacation to Bali, but the fear of flying prevents you from stepping on a plane, that fear might prevent you from living your dream.
You may find that fear restrains you or creates more significant problems in your life. The following story I heard from Seth Godin will help you to face your fears more easily.
“Every night a man has nightmares. In his dreams, monsters would appear right at the fringes of his sight, right at the edges of his room. He was so afraid of the monsters. He would turn and run, and the monsters with chasing him night after night.
One night this man did something different. When he heard the monsters, he invited them in for tea. He sat with them, and he looked at them. As soon as he did that, the dreams disappeared because the challenge wasn’t the monsters. It was the fear of the monster. Once he invited them, they didn’t look so bad after all.”
