Fear

Every day, every hour, every second, we are faced with decisions that pose to us a potential fear. But others, do not get paralyzed or impaired by this potential fear.They fight it, not avoid it. And then they are able to conquer it and stand up. Then they would face it. They would be able to go to the next step without worrying if they'll ever come across that "ghost" they are afraid of again. Because, whatever happens, they're no longer afraid.

John Maxwell, the author of very inspiring Leadership books, has written a blog about fear. It is in here that we would learn valuable points of emphasis on overcoming them. These are the steps.

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Discover the Foundation of Fear

In this step, John Maxwell explains, we should acknowledge the fact that a majority of fear is unfounded. The fact is that most fear is not based on fact. Much of what we fear is based on a feeling. He reminds us then, of what Businessman Allen Neuharth said: “I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn’t fall down.” Neuharth explains that he saw his worst fears coming true, only to realize that they weren’t as big as he’d imagined.

Admit you Fears

Says Mr. Maxwell, our biggest misconceptions is that courage is equal to lack of fear. But in actuality, the opposite is true. Because by admitting our fears, we can then challenge their accuracy. Mark Twain enlightens us by saying “courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”

Accept the Frailty and Brevity of Life

In this chapter, we need to accept the reality of our greatest fears. By doing so, we can focus on the things that we actually can control. This is what John Maxwell explains here. He also reminds us of what Gertrude Stein wrote: “Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really frightening.”

Accept Fear as the Price of Progress

To do anything of value, we have to take risks. With risk, comes fear. If we accept fear as the price of progress, then we can take appropriate risks that yield great reward. This is what Mr. Maxwell explains in this part. He quotes Susan Jeffers in her statement: “As long as I continue to push out into the world, as long as I continue to stretch my capabilities, as long as I continue to take risks in making my dreams come true, I am going to experience fear.”

Develop a Burning desire that overcomes Fear

John Maxwell explains to us here, that sometimes the best way to fight fear is to focus on our reason for confronting it. We need to ask ourselves “Is the reason we’re doing this bigger than fear? Is the reward at the end greater than the fear we are to confront in the process of achieving that particular reward?”

Focus on what you can control

In this section, we need to accept the fact that we cannot control many of the circumstances that we face. This then, allows us to focus on what we CAN control. A very inspiring saying that John Maxwell mentions is by an American basketball coach John Wooden: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

Focus on today

Fear tries to make us look at all of our problems at once. TO be courageous, you have to focus only on today. By focusing only on what’s right in front of us, we can manage tremendous risk because we know we’ll only have to deal with it one wave at a time. This is what Mr. Maxwell explains. He also adds this statement that a wise man once said: If an ocean liner could think and feel, it would never leave its dock; it would be afraid of the thousands of huge waves it would encounter.

Put some wins under your belt

We should keep in mind that the more we face our fears, the more capable we begin to feel and the more fears we are willing to face. Just like fear tends to breed more fear, courage leads to more courage. John Maxwell says.

Do it now

Mr. Maxwell explains that often, all it takes to conquer fear is to change our focus and try the other suggestions. As we realize what’s true and focus on what we can control, the fear naturally fades and weakens. But there are other times when no amount of thinking can overcome the fear we feel. In fact, the more we think in those situations, the more fearful we become. Then, the only solution is action. He then quotes W. Clement Stone with what he says: “When thinking won’t cure fear, action will.”Fear is a very real part of life. It must be faced and overcome with courage. By taking action in the face of fear, he or she achieves results and becomes more courageous.

Mr. John Maxwell presents to us a simple yet very meaningful interpretation of a factor which prevents us from being the best we can be—Fear. If we take in mind his words, we may overcome these fears, and become more courageous afterwards. On the way, we are becoming better persons.