Fear can come in handy when you’re deciding whether or not to walk down a dark street by yourself. But this powerful emotion can also keep you from being, having and doing all that God has intended for you.
When faced with an opportunity to step out in faith, many believe that they need to wait until the feeling of fear subsides before moving forward. If this is you, you have likely been waiting a long time and have much regret.
The truth is that courageous people are not fearless. Rather, they choose to move forward despite their fear. But how?
If you’re tired of letting your fears get the better of you, the following four steps can put you on the path to being unstoppable—even in the face of fear.
Step #1. Admit that you feel fear.
Many people make the mistake of ignoring their fear, thinking it will go away. This is simply ignorance. Just because you try to ignore something, it doesn’t go away. Instead of trying to distract yourself when you feel afraid, acknowledge the fear that you’re feeling. (I said ‘acknowledge,’ not ‘give in to.’)
Step #2 Explore the fear.
Once you allow yourself to admit that you are feeling afraid, it helps to explore where the fear comes from. Write down the fear and when you’ve had a similar kind of fear in the past. You may be reacting to an old experience that really has no bearing on your current reality.
Step 3# Take back the wheel.
Imagine your life’s journey as a long car ride, and you and your feelings are the passengers on this ride. Who is in the driver’s seat? Some people will pull over and throw their feelings in the trunk in effort to ignore them, while others allow their feelings to take the wheel and eventually crash. The proper place for your feelings is in the passenger seat where you can learn from them—not the driver’s seat.
Step #4 Get help.
As I said, fear is a powerful emotion. So powerful that we often need help to overcome it. Maybe there is a class that can help you build your skills that helps ease your fears. Perhaps you’d benefit from working with a counselor to overcome your fears that stem from past experiences. Maybe you need to hire a coach to help you discover what you never thought possible. Whatever help would serve you best, don’t be afraid to seek it.
One of the beautiful things you’ll never be able to experience until you learn to take your fear out of the driver’s seat is that the more you step out and take action, the more fear dissipates.
If you’re ready to kick fear to the curb and move forward in your God-given purpose but don’t know where to start, begin by grabbing a copy of my new book Make it Matter. It’s a Roadmap to Living a Life of Purpose and will set you on the path to discovering your God-given purpose. You can grab it here.
