Most of us are living in fear for so long, we don’t even realize it.

Fear presents itself in many shapes and forms, such as: anger, anxiety, regret, frustration, worry.

The problem with living in a constant state of fear is that it will steal precious moments, and opportunities from your life. And what makes it even worse is that you will not notice.

I’m sure you can think of at least a couple of moments in your life when you decided not to do something because you were afraid to dive into the “new”, the uncomfortable.

Listen, to some of you, facing your fears means doing diving with white sharks, or skydiving. To others, it could be changing careers, moving to a different country. I can’t tell you when you should go ahead and face your fears, and when you should take a hint and step back.

If you’re honest with yourself, you will know what you should do.

Feeling fear is normal, the key is to keep yourself aware at all times. You should be able to notice when you’re afraid of something. This is exactly how you can start putting fear to work in your favor, and not against you.

What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it. -Jiddu Krishnamurti

A clear example of a moment when fear can be used as a catalyst is when you’re looking to change something in your life. Almost any kind of significant change will come bundled with fear.

This can be a strong indicator that you should go ahead with changing whatever it is that you wish to change.

Facing the fear of change.

I’ve been blessed — from a young age — with the courage to face changes head-on. I have a taste for it, for as long as I can remember.

Yes, I do feel afraid of big changes in my life. Yes, I do get anxious. But I don’t allow myself to get overwhelmed by the possibilities.

I understand, and accept, that changing is life itself. It’s not possible to live a fulfilling life without changing along the way. It’s possible to survive, though.

Knowing that I would never be able to stop changing has helped me tremendously. Now, when I face a huge change of directions, I quickly assess the situation — and then decide the best way to go.

This doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes, I make a lot of mistakes. It also doesn’t mean I don’t get scared once I made a decision — I do. But I keep moving.

A quick trick to help you when facing a situation where you find yourself with fear of changing, is to discover the worse case scenario.

• What is the worse thing that could happen IF you do decide to go ahead?
• What is the worse thing that could happen IF you decide to stay put?
• What is the best thing that could happen?
• How will your decision impact your life?

Another trick I’ve discovered, is that fear hates action.

Once you start taking action, the fear will eventually disappear. Or at least diminish considerably.

Give it a try.

When you’re feeling fearful, start taking small steps. Acknowledge that your fear is there, but don’t allow it to trick you into inaction.

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely. -Buddha

Changing your mindset about fear is crucial to avoid getting stuck in life. Never allow yourself to be paralysed by it, every single action counts when it comes to facing your fears.

Got any tricks of your own? I would love to hear how you deal with your fears.

Please leave me a comment below.