ONE THING I WILL ADVISE A TWENTY-SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD SHWETA
Dare to get rid of your fears.
Dare to get rid of your fears. Don’t live with them. It will (only) stop or limit your growth.
And the only way to get rid of them is to face them head-on.
Yes! You read it right.
There is no other way you can vanish the fears. No other solution.
What about avoiding the situations that trigger fear?
Well, avoidance is only a temporary fix though it may feel a comfortable solution. Consider this: if you evade confronting a situation that induces anxiety and fear, does it prevent it from resurfacing? It doesn’t. It returns, often repeatedly. Multiple times, as you go on living your life. So, are you going to keep running away every single time it reappears? Don’t you ever feel tired of this cycle? Don’t you yearn to find the courage to face and conquer these challenges? I know you do.
Moreover, avoiding fear only makes it scarier. It can actually intensify it. Because, as you repeatedly avoid facing something you’re afraid of over time, that fear becomes deeply ingrained in your mind, growing stronger and stronger with time. Eventually, you end up becoming conditioned to feel anxiety and terror, as soon as you encounter the source of your fear, literally automatically.
So, what do you do?
Step one — recognize and acknowledge the need to overcome your fears and be determined to do so. Build a strong determination to gain courage and confidence to be able to fearlessly do the activity or deal with a situation, that currently intimidates you.
Remember that if you want to grow and reach your full potential, achieve success in pursuing your dreams, and not live life with minimum ordinary capabilities, you must work to address those hurdles that hold you back.
Confronting fears won’t be easy. You may encounter tremendous anxiety too. And all that is very okay. That is perfectly normal and natural. Attempting and learning to overpower strong negative emotions is not easy for anybody. Mere awareness of having to face anxiety and panic, while facing the fears, can, in itself overwhelm and demotivate you. But you need to remain determined, still show up, and keep pushing forward. Once you have crossed the bridge, it will give you the amazing joy of accomplishment.
This process will also boost your skills and confidence to deal with any daunting and tough situations, in the future. As you go by conquering your fears, you will realize you have the ability to face any challenges.
The most effective approach, I have come to understand, is to practice mindfulness in your everyday situations and activities. Through consistent practice, you can learn to be able to stay calm and composed no matter what circumstances you are facing. With a calm mind, you will be able to come up with the wisest ways to deal with a situation.
So, remember, you can truly learn to manage and respond to a triggering factor only when you are actually in the midst of a challenging situation. Trust me, it’s in those moments that you will discover your inner strength and the ability to navigate difficult circumstances effectively. Just like one can learn swimming by actually practicing it or master a spoken language only by actually speaking it regularly and consistently, one can conquer fears only by facing them head-on.
Fear is a natural human emotion and there is nothing wrong or inferior about it. Everyone experiences fear at some point in their lives. The difference lies in those who dare to confront and conquer it because they refuse to allow any barriers or obstacles to hinder their personal growth. They remain resolutely focused on soaring to greater heights.
