Monday, August 22, 2011

Fear – A Debilitating Emotion


I was a fearful child. Bad dreams and monsters in the closet kept me awake at night. Worrying about my big brother and parents troubled my days. I don’t know what caused these fears, but as I matured I conquered most of them. As a grown up I know there are no monsters in my closet, but fear still threatens to disrupt my life experience.

As adults, many of us fear failure, criticism, rejection, or just being wrong. This emotion gets in the way of adventure, personal growth in trying new things, and sometimes being ourselves. But how do we cope with our insecurities and self-doubt? One way may be to get over ourselves. Do we consider ourselves so important that others will care about our mistakes? Most people are busy worrying about their own issues and are not focused on anyone else. And what if someone does criticize or snub us? Ask yourself who are they to judge? In these cases, as with bullies on the playground, they are trying to feel better about their own insecurities.

None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from them and move on. Usually what we are afraid of is not as destructive as the fear itself. Don’t let fear rob you of reaching your full potential. Take a deep breath and meet every challenge that comes your way. What have you got to lose?

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