Fear

Fear

Here is another post from Lou Tice at the Winners Circle. This time Lou talks about fear, and the way fear can prevent us doing what we want to do. This appeared in my inbox at just the right time.

Nothing blocks change quite the way fear does, and when its power is greater than your power to push through it, fear is devastating. We can see evidence of this everyday in the news. However, in his book, “Getting Unstuck,” Dr. Sidney Simon discusses ten ways fear blocks change, and today that information bears repeating.

Fear persuades you to do less than you are capable of doing. It triggers internal defense systems and fools you into thinking that you have perfectly good reasons not to change. Fear, particularly fear of making mistakes, causes indecisiveness and stops you from knowing what you really want. It warps your perception of your life and what you can do to make it better.

Fear keeps you from asking for help when you need it or benefiting from the emotional support offered to you. To calm your fears, you develop unhealthy habits and behavior patterns. Fear makes you give up one step short of your goal. And finally, fear keeps you from taking the risks necessary for growth.

Fear can control your life if you let it. But you can push through it if you can relax physically and mentally, and develop the habit of taking well-chosen risks – small ones at first, then bigger ones. Affirmations and visualizations are a great help too. If you get into the habit of vividly seeing yourself achieve success, you can overcome the paralyzing effects of fear and move confidently into the good life you deserve.

What types of fears do you have that are preventing you from positive change? What steps, even if they are small ones at first, can you take today, or this week?

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute

I’ve been trying to face up to some of the fears I have recently; particularly those surrounding various aspects of my health, and there are a number. I think, in general, fear has persuaded me to do less than I’m capable of. But I think I’ve got some strategies in place now that’ll help me through the worst of them — providing my memory works well enough when it’s needed. I guess I’ll discover how successful those strategies are the next time I have an attack severe enough to require hospitalization.

Whilst I’ve been looking at fear in the way I have, I recalled a (now famous) quote from Frank Herbert in the novel Dune. It’s a quote we could do well to remember when fear is getting in the way of living our lives.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

From the book, “Dune” by Frank Herbert — the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

Dune is a book that would come very high in my list of favourite books. And, unusually for me, so would the film. Both quite old now, especially the book, but well worth looking out for if you haven’t seen or read them.

These emails from Lou Tice always get me thinking, and I enjoy them a great deal. If you think you might too, do please consider subscribing to the Winners Circle yourself.