Don’t worry about being fearless. We all feel fear at some point in our lives. It is a part of being human. I am pretty sure it that only people who are sociopaths never feel fear. Could you imagine the state of the world if we had no fear?! Jumping out of planes, running into traffic and eating poisonous stuff…
Do not worry about being fearless. Instead, practice fearing less.
Right now I am afraid that I made the wrong choice when I bought my RV. That maybe I shouldn’t have sold my condo. What will other people think of my new lifestyle?
Just like you, this voice in my head will always try and stop me from doing anything different. It has taken me a lot of work. And being 100% honest with you, I still struggle with it. Some days are harder than others.
My intention with this blog is to be real and vulnerable. But it is harder than I thought. People are actually reading it. They are listening to my podcast and a handful of you have even subscribed to my monthly email newsletter. Know this keeps me accountable. And your support motivates me to be brave and share who I really am.
I hope that I can give a little something back. Even though I am afraid, I practice the idea of fearing less every single day. So let me share with you. Here are my three tips for overcoming fear. Becoming truly fearless is an almost impossible task. Take it one moment at a time and just work on fearing less. This is a much easier process. I speak from experience.
The feeling will most likely stay with you. But understand that fear is only a voice in your head. It is just an emotion. Like happiness or sadness or anger. It will over take you in one moment and be gone in the next.
#1 – Do not be afraid to be afraid.
These so called fearless people are comfortable acknowledging the fear. Don’t make fear your enemy. We all feel it at some point. It is just part of being human. You are not alone in feeling this way. Remember what it was like when you were NOT afraid. The ebb and flow of life keeps on going. It takes time and effort to overcome. But just like other emotions. It too shall pass.
We make it worse by trying to convince ourselves NOT to be afraid. Be ok with how you are feeling instead of beating yourself up.
#2 – Know when to seek help.
Ask for help before it gets out of hand. Find a good friend or family member that you can share your thoughts to without judgment. I had a hard time with this. A big chunk of my friends are too quick to judge and offer negative advice. When it comes to my fears, I have hired a professional. Would you cut your hair yourself? Of course not! This is your health and well being, find someone trained in dealing with these issues. I see a therapist every few weeks. She is amazing. Get help to solve your problems. This make them less scary. Just having someone to talk to might help your fears become more manageable.
Important not here – if at anytime your worry becomes excessive and anxiety interferes with daily life. Consult a professional. These feelings are only ok if they are not hindering your life.
#3 – Take the time to figure out the worse case scenario.
This seems silly. I laughed at the idea when it was suggested to me. The ‘what if’ part of my brain is what triggers my anxiety. Falling down the rabbit whole of what if, what if seemed contradicting at first. The difference with this exercise – you need to consciously think about it. You are controlling your thoughts
Anxiety is an out of control state of being. Choosing to take a deep breath, sit down with a piece of paper or laptop will put you back in the drivers seat. It gives you control of your feelings again.
When I was worried about my brain surgery this helped a lot. Worst case was that I died on the table. I laughed because when I stopped to think about it, I realized I would be dead! So what else really mattered…? Of course I started to freak out about the people I would leave behind. So I took another breath and made a list of all the things I need to have to get my life ‘in order’.
When you realize the worst case is something you can handle. It seems a lot less scary.
Right now, I am afraid of the unknown. I do not know where or what direction my life is going to take over the next couple of months. The intention was to be in my RV full time but I don’t feel confident enough yet to make this happen.
I had some great practice trips this summer. Freya is in the shop getting warranty work done so I still have a few weeks to fear less about my choice.
So what is my worst case? If I really hate living in my RV? I sell it and move in with my mom.
