Guest post by Dr. Daisy Sutherland
Do you allow fear into your life?
More importantly, do you allow it ruin your motivation towards your goals and dreams? Well, no worries because you are not alone! Many feel the frustration that ultimately results from abandoning your goals and dreams because of one ugly word creeping into your mind—fear!
But there is hope. With a few simple changes in your view and perspective, you can trade fear for courage and optimism and use it to your advantage.
Shifting your focus is not difficult, but it requires some identification. You must first identify what type of individual you are and truly be honest with yourself. Do you focus on the negative in situations—the challenges instead of the benefits? Do you hesitate to make a decision because of negative risks that may be involved? Your fears can literally hold you back from achieving your goals. You may even already see the evidence.
Here is the good news. Learning to switch your focus from what you might lose to what you stand to gain will make you feel more courageous and eager to take action.
Why not try an activity to help you bring your fears out into the open and make them more easily recognizable to you.
Take out two sheets of paper. On one sheet list your specific fears. What do you fear happening, and why? Is each situation likely to occur, or is there merely a chance of it happening? Examine your list and consider what is holding you back.
On the other sheet of paper, list all the benefits you could gain by conquering your fear and moving forward. Be specific—and most importantly be optimistic—regarding what you include on this list. Remember that fear often magnifies the negative possibilities, making the positive benefits seem smaller and less significant. You may have to work on emphasizing the positive but it can be done.
Now look over both lists. What you have written should give you a more balanced view of your options and perhaps provide the clarity needed for making a choice. Your choice may determine whether you move forward or simply wait a bit longer. Whatever your decision, it is perfectly fine. If you see that the possible negative consequences are more significant than you’re willing to accept at the time, you can either come up with less risky steps to take or simply hold off and reevaluate at a later time.
If you do decide to take action, you may need to work on building up your courage a bit beforehand. Remember that the only person with the power to hold you back is you. It’s important to remember that motivation is the determination to conquer any fear, hesitation, or excuse that threatens to hold you back.
Before you make any decision, you must first understand that fears are not conquered overnight. Please don’t trick yourself into believing that because of one simple exercise you are suddenly fearless. Chances are good that fear is still there—and that is not necessarily a bad thing. This activity merely helped you discover your weaknesses so you can work on conquering them and then set out to achieve your goals and dreams. Were you to ask a person you consider successful about their fears, they would likely tell you that they, too, had to resolve to move forward despite their fear and uncertainty.
What you must understand and remember is that making the switch is ultimately your choice and yours alone. However, in order to achieve the success you seek, you must learn to turn crippling fear into courage. You can do it!
Dr. Daisy Sutherland is the Founder/CEO of Dr. Mommy Online. She is a doctor, author, radio personality, speaker, wife & mom to 5 children. Dr. Mommy’s mission is to ~ Inspire, Motivate & Encourage you to be the best you can be by sharing her ‘Get Real’ approach to health and wellness. Be sure to visit: http://drmommyonline.com and learn more.
Read more encouraging stories from brave-hearted women here. Be sure to grab your free copy of inspirational quotes and writing prompts while you’re there. (Look over on the right hand side!)
