Conquering Fear

Last week's blog post, The Presence of Fear delved into what it means to be afraid from a biological and conceptual perspective, this week I will be focusing specifically on overcoming fear. Learning to live with and conquer what scares us ultimately comes down to altering our patterns of thought. Every day presents a unique opportunity to change the scripts that we write for ourselves, to condition our minds with logic and reason. Fear is something all too familiar to me but fortunately so is rising above it. 

Throughout my life I have experienced being afraid more than most people may realize. Despite being seen as somewhat fearless in my personality, I find myself needing to battle my own anxieties and fears on a fairly regular basis. Time and time again, I have had to gather the inner strength to cope with what terrifies me. One of the most powerful tools, that I have found, when it comes to persisting through these moments of dread is logic. The human brain is the most advanced computer in existence; with enough time, practice and patience we can quite literally reprogram our minds.

Our minds may be the source of fear but they can also be the solution. When dealing with my own personal fears I feel it is important that I first identify the root and triggers of the fear. Some are pretty obvious but others require a bit more digging, once the causes are identified though it becomes much easier to interrupt the path of negativity. Having a plan when fear begins to boil-up allows us to consciously alter how much it affects us. We must be active in our thoughts instead of simply reactive.

Renowned activist and Peace Direct founder, Scilla Elworthy cites the strength in being able to master fear as part of her TED talk, Fighting with nonviolence. She shares her insightful personal mantra, “My fear grows fat on the energy I feed it. And if it grows very big it probably happens.” Elworthy also relates overcoming fear to speaking with a child; ultimately we are the adults and can ask what the fear wants, what would satisfy it’s needs. Managing fear is all about minimizing it's power over us and reclaiming control of our feelings. 

All of this discussion of mastering feelings may sound a bit Jedi-esque to some, luckily, there are other more practical options. A helpful strategy for me is to talk about what I am afraid of, sometimes just voicing how I feel with someone I trust can make life seem a bit brighter. Also things like taking a few deep breaths, creative expression and distracting ourselves in a healthy way can break the grip of fear. All in all, the more we can cope with what scares, the more we can accomplish. I think President Roosevelt said it best, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”