How to Overcome Fear

There are two types of people in this world: people who feel fear, and liars. We’re humans, and fear is simply one of many emotions that we will all feel at some point.

Unlike positive emotions like joy or gratitude, fear is one of those emotions that often limits what we’re capable of in life.

Let’s say you’re afraid of heights. Then, for whatever reason, you decide to go skydiving. When that plane is thousands of feet in the sky and that door opens, your brain will be flooded by fear. It doesn’t really matter if that parachute has a 100% safety rate, or if you have the world’s best instructor guiding you. You are afraid of heights, and not even being reassured you’ll be completely safe helps get rid of that fear.

The way I like to picture it, our brains have a “thinking” part, and also a “feeling” part. These two are independent from each other, and sometimes they’re just not on the same page.

Going back to the skydiving example, the “thinking” part of your brain knows that it’s going to be safe, but the “feeling” part of your brain feels like you’re going to be in great danger once you leap out of that plane. So no matter how you reason with yourself, having that fear of heights will guarantee a feeling of fear. Even if you aren’t afraid of heights, you will definitely feel some level of fear.

So is that it? Is there simply no way to defeat fear?

Here’s the thing, fear is an emotion that will never completely go away. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. When you feel fear, you become more alert and focused. What really helps is having the mindset to be okay with whatever ends up happening. You never really lose. You either win, or you learn.

There’s this quote I saw that sounds really simple, but it makes a lot of sense.

“Feel the fear, and do it anyway.”

I’ve used skydiving as an extreme example, but the quote really applies to anything that makes you feel any amount of fear. Maybe you’re trying to cook something new that’s more complicated, and you’re afraid you’ll mess it up. But even if you fail, you still tried despite that fear, and you should be proud. Nobody will hold anything against you because you tried (except maybe Gordon Ramsay).

Potential is not fully realized when we let fear hold us back. Just think about how far society has come in terms of innovations and inventions.

That car that you drive everywhere wouldn’t be possible without someone tinkering with the idea of a car. By modern standards, the first “car” that was ever invented probably wasn’t very good. In fact, you’d probably get somewhere faster by walking at a brisk pace. But by experimenting with the unknown, cars improved over time, and nowadays there are even cars that can drive themselves with no human input, which is amazing.

I can’t really interview the person who invented that first car, because I’m almost certain he’s not alive anymore, but if I could build a time machine and do it, I have a good guess on how he felt.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he felt fear. He feared that all the time and energy he spent trying to turn such a new concept into reality wouldn’t work. I mean, at the time, the idea of a car was unheard of.

You’re telling me I can get somewhere much faster than any bicycle or motorcycle, choose my specific destination unlike a train that has a designated route, take multiple people with me, and drastically cut down my commute time? It sounds unreal. It sounds insane. It sounds impossible. But fast forward to today, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s now a big part of society and the way we live life.

Instead of putting your focus and energy on trying to eliminate that fear, you should embrace it fully and use it to your advantage. When you try to avoid fear, that’s how you hold yourself back from living your life to the fullest.

You’ve probably heard this before from a fortune cookie, but I’ll say it anyway. You only live once. So take this one chance you have at life and live more intentionally. Make decisions and take action despite feeling fear, and you’ll achieve all your wildest dreams.

Don’t let fear stop you.