{"id":980,"date":"2014-05-15T00:47:21","date_gmt":"2014-05-15T00:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/?p=980"},"modified":"2014-05-16T10:24:31","modified_gmt":"2014-05-16T10:24:31","slug":"how-to-overcome-the-five-biggest-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/05\/how-to-overcome-the-five-biggest-fears.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Overcome Your Five Biggest Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"overcome<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.\u201d – Dorothy Thompson<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fear is a universal human experience; we all have moments of fear and trepidation. In moderation, fear is a good thing – it can be a powerful motivator for positive change<\/a>, and it’s what keeps us safe from imminent danger.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, many people spend their lives crippled by emotional fears and anxieties that fuel procrastination and indecision, keeping them from realizing their true potential. <\/p>\n

Here are some simple ways you can overcome the five most common fears:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The Fear of Rejection<\/h2>\n

Everyone wants to be accepted; that’s what makes the fear of rejection such a common one. Overcoming this fear requires you to do some soul-searching about who you are and what’s important to you.<\/p>\n

The better you know (and appreciate) yourself, the less concerned you’ll be about gaining the approval of others. <\/p>\n

2. The Fear of Failure<\/h2>\n

Rethink your idea of what failure is; rather than focusing on the chance that you might fail, get excited thinking that you may succeed! Break down your goals into small, measurable steps to eliminate the all-or-nothing mindset that often fuels a fear of failure.<\/p>\n

If you set out to run a marathon only to quit running halfway through, celebrate the fact that you just ran 13 miles!<\/p>\n

True failure is when your fears keep you from trying in the first place. <\/p>\n

3. The Fear of Success<\/h2>\n

If success scares you, you aren’t alone. Many people secretly fear the changes that success brings, especially if they’ve become stagnant and comfortable with the familiarity of their situation.<\/p>\n

Focus on the positives that go along with success; a better job, improved self-esteem, greater opportunities. Remember; you’ve had to experience success to get this far in life, so perhaps success isn’t quite that scary after all?<\/p>\n

4. The Fear of Losing Control<\/h2>\n

The idea of losing control can be overwhelming, but in reality, succumbing to fear is the ultimate loss of control.<\/p>\n

Focus on controlling your own emotions, your response to your fear – once you do that, you’ll achieve the ultimate control and inner peace. <\/p>\n

5. The Fear of the Past Repeating Itself<\/h2>\n

Perhaps you have some skeletons in your closet that still haunt you; many people do. If you constantly worry about experiencing a bad case of deja vu, you’re likely allowing negative thoughts to dictate your actions, forcing you to live in the past instead of enjoying the moment.<\/p>\n

Learn how to recognize your fear of the past; write down your anxieties and acknowledge them. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for overcoming issues from your past, and make a plan to deal with recurring negative themes in your life. <\/p>\n

Then go ahead and burn that list; let it go<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The past is the past; you can’t go backwards, but you can move forward with clarity, peace and confidence. <\/p>\n

About Alex Blackwell<\/a><\/strong>
\nAlex Blackwell is a father, husband and writer<\/a>. He writes about inspiring things at The BridgeMaker<\/a>.
\nWeb<\/a> | Simple Paths to an Amazing Life<\/a> | Free eBook: How to Love Consciously<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOnly when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.\u201d – Dorothy Thompson Fear is a universal human experience; we all have moments of fear and trepidation. In moderation, fear is a good thing – it can be a powerful motivator for positive change, and it’s what keeps us safe from imminent danger.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":554,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Overcome Your Five Biggest Fears - Everyday Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/05\/how-to-overcome-the-five-biggest-fears.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Overcome Your Five Biggest Fears - Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cOnly when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.\u201d – Dorothy Thompson Fear is a universal human experience; we all have moments of fear and trepidation. In moderation, fear is a good thing – it can be a powerful motivator for positive change, and it’s what keeps us safe from imminent danger.…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/05\/how-to-overcome-the-five-biggest-fears.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-05-15T00:47:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-05-16T10:24:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/files\/2014\/05\/overcome-fear.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alex Blackwell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Overcome Your Five Biggest Fears - Everyday Inspiration","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/05\/how-to-overcome-the-five-biggest-fears.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Overcome Your Five Biggest Fears - Everyday Inspiration","og_description":"\u201cOnly when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.\u201d – Dorothy Thompson Fear is a universal human experience; we all have moments of fear and trepidation. 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