Overcome Your Fear!

• Comparing ourselves with others
  
  
  We live in a competitive society. People seek to outperform each other for survival. There is a concern of losing opportunities if the performances are poorer than others.
  
  
  
• Inferiority complex.
  
  
  People may think that success depends on the ability to gain acceptance and approval from others. This can result in self consciousness and overly dependent on others' opinions.



• Anticipating failure
  
  
  People associate embarrassment, disgrace and humiliation with failure. "How would people look at me if I fail? They will look down, despise or lose respect for me. I may be bullied and taken advantage of."
  
  

  It feels safer to remain status quo and stick with the familiar which provides security. Taking on new challenges may require people to come out of their comfort zone which creates uncertainty for them.
  
  
• Inadequate training, knowledge and experience
  
  
  Without acquiring the skills and the lack of information can make a person feel inadequate to perform a task. Being new at something can also cause people to feel nervous.
  
  
  
• Negative thought patterns
  
  
  Irrational thoughts, assumptions, generalizations and catastrophic thinking e.g. “Oh no! What if …?” can be scary.
  
  
  
  The negative mental rehearsals and self limiting beliefs can make a person doubt his/her ability. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy when a person performs poorly.

• Accept that you experience it.
  
  
  Society promotes the idea that self confidence is required to succeed. Raised with this mindset makes a person vulnerable to the belief. Don't be discouraged if you feel afraid. Don't feel defeated nor be harsh on yourself.
  
  
  
• Examine them.
  
  Be honest with yourself and identify the root cause.
  
  
• Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen if you face them?”
  
  
  Sometimes, if we expect poor performance or failure, we may feel that we are going to lose our pride or what we hoped for.
  
  
  
• Renew your mindset.
  
  
  Replace fearful thoughts with positive ones. Don't let past failures stop you from trying. Without trying, we stand zero chance of success. Imagine success in doing what you fear.
  
  
  
• Set realistic expectations.
  
  
  Don't expect yourself to be perfect. Learn and grow from mistakes. This is part of the learning process.
  
  
• Learn to accept your strengths and weaknesses.
  
  
  We are all imperfect. Seeing ourselves realistically is important. Do not focus on your weaknesses. Maximize your talents by developing and using them.
  
  
  
• Take courage and face them bit by bit.
  
  
  When the results seem gradual, be patient. Each effort that we take to counter it will make it easier. Learning from each attempt helps us to do better. Dealing with them will help to build your confidence.
  
  
  
• Be prepared that you may feel an increased intensity of fear when confronting it.
  
  
  You may regret facing them and wondered, "Why did I make myself go through this?" You may feel overwhelmed and just feel like giving up to stop the uncomfortable feeling. Do not let the discomfort stop you. The feeling is temporary. Press on the fight. You never know how close you are to victory.
  
  
  
• Encourage yourself for each victory won.
  Each victory whether big or small moves you closer to freedom.

Fear Quotes

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