Overcoming Fear

Do you have the desire to face down your fears? Overcoming fear takes will, courage, and the right attitude. Here are a few ideas on overcoming our fears of anything.

Relaxed Focus

To overcome fear we need to be relaxed. Fear tenses us up as it fills us with negative thoughts. We need to first close our eyes and think about an enjoyable moment or place to help put us in a state of relaxation.

Once we are relaxed, we can begin to focus on what we want. Focus on what we want to happen, not on what we do not want to happen. When we focus on what we do not want we get uptight not relaxed. When we focus on what we want we create a positive vibe that relaxes us.

Do not Play Conservative…Play to Win

Have you ever watched an athletic competition when someone plays too conservatively? This is sometimes referred to as ‘playing not to lose’? They do not give their best effort and can even lose focus.

On Sunday, I watched Bubba Watson win his second Masters golf tournament. On hole number 15, he was up by three strokes on a par five, and had to decide whether to punch the ball through the trees, or lay up or go for the green, which was a very difficult shot.

He went for the green, which was playing to win. He refused to lose his edge and kept playing as if he was in a tight competition. This also gave him a psychological edge against his competitor as he hit the shot, and well after the shot was hit.

Your Mindset Impacts Your Situation…Stay Positive

When we make a bad decision or create an result we are unhappy with, we have to work to stay positive. Reaching our goal has a lot to do with how we react to situations – and we have a choice – we can choose to stay positive or go negative. It is literally our choice. No one else’s. So stay positive.

Shift Your Focus from You to Others

If I am in a speaking situation, for example, and find fear creeping in, I shift my focus to the others in attendance. I have found that when I take my focus off of me I am no longer fearful.

My focus has shifted. It is now on other people and I now need to concentrate on getting my message across, and not worry about what they might be thinking of me. I think about how I can serve them and meet their needs.

Overcoming fear is a challenge that all of face as humans. What ideas have you utilized to overcome fear?