We all have some kind of fear in our daily lives that we all must be willing to take the necessary steps to fight the fears by facing them so we can overcome them.
I used to be terrified to speak in front of a group of people. Like TERRIFIED! It would start out like this…my heart would start beating super fast inside my chest, my palms would get sweaty and then I would get dizzy and feel as if I would pass out. I hated this feeling and hated living life like this. I remember silly feelings and thoughts like I wasn’t good enough as the others in the room and if I wasn’t as important as the others in the room and what I had to say didn’t really matter. I was scared of being judged and unaccepted by my peers.
Unfortunately for MANY years I allowed this unfounded fear to hold me back in life. It kept me from enjoying so many things and it also became a hindrance at me furthering my career.
So what did I do? I faced this fear! I started to constantly expose myself to the very thing that I was terrified of! I signed up for Improv classes and did that for several years and then from there I joined a local Toastmasters group.
I continually put myself in the very situations that petrified me. By facing my fears through this exposure technique I was able to retrain my brain. My brain actually began to learn that I was safe and that there was nothing to be afraid of. I was able to retrain my brain into believing that my fear was totally not a logical one!
This was a process that was hard for me at times as I am not the most patient of people. But I continued to expose myself to my fear until I learned that it wasn’t something I should be afraid of! I can honestly and proudly say that I am a completely different person in those situations now! Do I still get fearful talking and speaking in front of a group of people? Yes I do at times, but I can tell you that the fear isn’t an irrational fear and it doesn’t stop me from living my life like it used to.
So my friends, what about you? Is there a fear in your life that you are allowing to hold you hostage and prevent you from living and enjoying life? If you start taking some small and steady steps like I did by continually exposing yourself to that fear, you will find that your fear will start to diminish and that you will feel more confident and free! You got this! The brain is super prowerful and if you think you can do it, YOU CAN!
