Fight the fear

Fear is a state of emotion which is normal and we all feel it.

The problem is not the fear but our hesitation in accepting the fact that we are fearful or anxious about some event or belief.

We have grown up listening to the story of the pigeon and the cat, where the pigeon closes the eyes believing that the cat can’t see her and ultimately becomes the cat’s prey.

Here the cat is a metaphor of fear or limitations. By turning blind towards a non- resourceful situation, we are not doing away with the crisis but waiting for the accident to happen.

We can overcome our fear only when we acknowledge it and work towards overcoming it. If we leave it unattended sooner or latter like pigeon, we are sure to get overpowered by it.

There are several ways in which we can do away with the fear:

• Accept it: there is no stigma in accepting the fear. It is one of the nine emotions that is very basic to all living beings. Only when we are aware, we can work to eliminate it.

• Talk about it: talk about your fear or problem with your family members, friends and your partner. This is sure to open the gate and we will realise that either they are themselves facing such situation or have suffered from it in the past. This will help us in addressing the issue with the experience of others. And also, do away with the self- limiting believes.

• Create a fear ladder-

1. Make a list of all the things that induces fear/limitations in you.
2. Further segregate the list into subsets putting similar fears in one group.
3. Now arrange the list of things from least scary to most scary on a scale of 1-10.
4. Identify the low scoring things and make a list of them.
5. Now to begin with focus your energy on doing these repeatedly on daily basis.
6. Track your feeling every time you do this either through the scoring or with words.
7. When you realise that the fear is negligible or very little(scoring) then move to the next ladder of fear.
8. Repeat all the steps from 1-6.
9. Reward yourself on your achievement at every step.
10. Continue practicing the things you have mastered.

• Consult a coach/counsellor – seeking help from a coach or counsellor is recommended as the person will be at your side throughout the journey of doing away with fear or the self-limiting beliefs. Coach as a neutral person will help you exploring your internal resources to address the issues.

Remember: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear,”- Nelson Mandela.