Are you afraid of something? We're all terrified of something. This fear frequently conceals something closer, a real worry.
Fear is powerful; it can control our actions and make us do things that we wouldn’t normally do.
My biggest fear used to be speaking in front of people, but after applying the principles in this article, I have become more confident and overcome my fear.
The more I confront my fears, the easier it becomes and the more likely I will overcome them.
Here are a few ways I deal with my fear to overcome it and achieve my goals in life.
Identify Your Fear
My parents taught me the importance of trying new things and taking risks as I grew up. While it did not always work out as well as they had hoped, I have a lot of experience overcoming fear.
It was a fear of letting others down that always held me back, and it was what kept me from truly living life to its fullest.
For example, when I was a kid, I was always outside with my friends. It did not matter what we were doing—going on adventures or just sitting in my backyard, reading, or playing video games—I enjoyed every minute of it because there wasn’t anything better to do.
But when friends wanted to go out of town for an overnight trip and asked if I wanted to come along, something would stop me: It could be schoolwork, unread emails, or any number of other things that stood between me and having fun.
When people ask why I never went away to camp or spent a week at summer camp as most kids did, there is one answer: Fear.
At first glance, such an excuse seems like a cop-out; definitely, I could have squeezed some time in somewhere to take those road trips with my best friends.
While that is true in theory, when I considered how to face my fears, no practical solutions came to mind.
Facing them meant facing reality and admitting to myself why I was afraid in the first place: A lack of self-confidence.
Overcoming fear is never easy, but knowing yourself and your abilities can give you the confidence to push forward despite your fears.
Challenge Your Fears Through Action
In my life, I have learned that fears are only feared if we allow them to be.
Many people face a fear of failure and a fear of judgment. We see these in childhood, from parents and teachers to classmates.
Often, we face criticism for doing things differently—or even for doing nothing at all.
It’s crucial to step outside your comfort zone when you have fears and truly challenge yourself to confront them head-on.
Some of my experiences with failure helped me feel like I had more control over what happens in my life than before—and they also pushed me to challenge others’ perceptions of me because I felt better than before.
There is always a fear or something that holds us back from truly living and being happy.
We all have great potential within us, but it takes action to get it out of us.
Facing your fears by challenging yourself through action is vital; it allows you to gain confidence while showing others that they shouldn’t judge you as harshly as they may have previously.
To me, fear is just another challenge waiting for me to overcome it and move on to bigger things.
Build Confidence
One of my secrets to overcoming fear is to build confidence. By staying true to myself and challenging myself in life, I have a greater level of confidence to face my fears in real-life situations.
Most people develop confidence by working hard to accomplish their goals. They may take risks, try new things, and succeed, leading to a more confident self-image.
There are lots of things that you can do to build confidence, from taking up a new hobby or reaching out to a friend.
Having courage and determination seems to be what helps me get through most situations, but there’s one thing that’s more important than all of them: having positive life experiences.
The same applies to me, but my experiences were through school and sports because of two reasons:
- One is when teachers would criticize me for having no confidence in myself and encourage me to go for it.
- Other is when coaches told me that only through practice can you achieve success.
To sum up, I believe these actions have led to some success in school and sports (which has led to confidence) throughout my life.
The easiest way to overcome fear is by realizing that it doesn’t define who you are and can overcome it if you try hard enough.
Move Forward Despite Your Fears
Since junior high, I’ve been afraid of failing at a task in front of others.
In my head, failing was equivalent to being seen as stupid or incompetent. This fear was present in many different scenarios, and it never stopped me from trying new things.
There are times when all you can do is move forward despite your fears because they will never stop haunting you unless you push them aside.
One challenge that helped me get over these fears was my college internship experience and where even though there were people who appeared to be more qualified for such tasks.
I still needed to step up and try them out to gain valuable work experience before applying for full-time jobs after graduation.
For example, every summer job I had growing up seemed like an opportunity to put my skills on display in front of all kinds of coworkers.
At first, being so young made me feel like no one took what I said seriously.
However, by remaining calm and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone in each situation, it became easier and easier until someone offered me a permanent position based on how well we worked together during a temporary assignment.
Later on in my life, I was hired into two similar positions at two great companies!
When both situations took place simultaneously last year while working through focused forward, I started realizing just how far from those days working fast food had progressed—I guess that puts most people’s teenage jobs to shame!
Conclusion
I hope you found this article helpful in overcoming your fear and gaining confidence.
I know that fear is a powerful emotion that can take control of your life and cause you to do things you would not normally do.
I also know that when you're dealing with fear, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, and you might have the desire to turn back and give up.
But I'm here to tell you that you should never give up on your dreams, and I'm sure that with some practice and perseverance, you'll be able to overcome your fear.
I would love to hear from you! Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.
It's never too late to conquer your fears.
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