Four strategies for overcoming fear as a speaker and writer
FEAR is one of the reasons most people don’t live up to their true potential in life. It is a dream killer. FEAR could also be termed as an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight). Many dreams have been abandoned and shattered due to fear. Most people flee abandoning their dreams in the face of challenges while some wait and fight to achieve success (FEAR means Free Everything (Vision, Dreams, etc) And Run). Fear can be categorized into two parts:
- The natural fear we were born with like the fear of falling, water, fire, thunder, dying and so on.
- The fear we learn such as the fear of failure when we are scared of failing; in our exams, chosen career or business, dreams and so on and the fear of success which makes us panic and afraid whenever we achieve great success.
Now, listed below are strategies for overcoming fear:
- DISCOVER YOURSELF- Do a SWOT analysis of yourself to determine your Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat and, then DISCOVER what you love to do and what gives you joy whenever you do it? What you can do naturally? What your limits are and what frightens you about your dreams?
- BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND CAPABILITY- After discovering what you love to do, you must start doing it and BELIEVE in your capability. This is not in the absence of fear. Of course, there is this inner voice saying you can’t do it. But the belief you have in yourself and capability makes it possible for you to overcome the fear coming through. Also, be POSITIVE that it is possible to achieve success.
- BE BOLD- Being BOLD is a major tool if you are ever going to overcome your fear. You must be audacious when it comes to living a meaningful and satisfying life. You must be brave to take life on. Success is the child of audacity. You must be courageous to stand tall in the face of adversity. Many things will happen to make you succumb to fear of failure but the courage to keep moving forward will see you through to a successful end (See 2 Tim 1:7).
- BE HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS- Being hungry for success can also help in overcoming fear. Not that fear will not come to rob you of your greatness but the hunger which you have for success will keep driving you forward to do more. It’ll transform your fear to force to keep pushing you till you achieve success.
Tunji Oyedokun
