My Name Is Fear - 5 Ways To Beat Fear

I was born to help you remain safe, to keep you from doing stupid things that are bound to get you hurt.

I stopped you from starting that business long ago. It would have bankrupted you. You never had a chance to make it succeed. It was a stupid idea. Only someone else started with the same company and now it's worth 23 million dollars. But that's not you.

We're friends. You listen to me every time I speak. You respond to my whispers faster than anything else.

I stopped you from telling your boss what you thought. If you'd told him you wouldn't have a job now.

See I keep you safe.

I may have kept you from a few opportunities that would have made you grow, but they weren't for you. After all if you'd wanted them enough you would have told me to leave, stopped listening to me.

Thank you for not trying to kill me. It isn't really difficult. You're only fearful until you do the thing you're afraid of. But you wouldn't do that. Not to me. For we are friends, companions. We will be together - Forever.

I will always be there to stop you, to make sure you don't try to do anything you aren't completely comfortable with. I will always be there to keep you just as you are now.

For my name is FEAR.

Every single person on earth knows Fear intimately. It sinks its claws deep into you if you allow it and refuses to let go.

It immobilizes you, makes you cautious, and keeps you from doing some stupid things.

It will make you be a normal person who never achieves your dreams.

But how do you beat something that is so much a part of you?

When I was a teenager I was on the swim team. At the beginning of each swim we had to dive off these little white boards that were two feet above the water. For some reason I was terrified to do this. I'd get up on that board and start trembling. The whistle would blow and I'd be unable to dive and end up just having to jump off.

I knew if I ever wanted to place in a tournament I'd have to be able to dive off that board. So I did the only thing I could. I joined the diving team.

Every one of us were complete amateurs, and for the first day we practiced the correct way to jump off the diving board on land. I was okay with that part.

The first time I got up on the board I must have held onto the rails for five minutes staring at the end of that board. My heart beat in my ears. It was difficult to breathe. My hands were clammy.

I could have climbed down then. I could have quit, but I wasn't going to let fear beat me. I ran off the end of that board in a burst of speed. It wasn't graceful, or pretty. I didn't even do it right. But when I surfaced I felt incredible. I'd faced my fears and won.

1. If you're too frightened to do something practice in a safe location, then just go do it.

Now many people say this doesn't work in the financial realm. To a point they're right. Sometimes you can get games that help you practice taking risks. These games also help change the way you think about things. One such game is Cashflow. It's an investing game that is all about getting out of the Rat Race.

When you can't face your fears through practice first

2. Just Do It!

You will never conquer your fears without taking the first step.

3. Calm yourself.

Meditation or prayer can help clear your mind and straighten out your path. They both access the same area of your mind. Use them frequently and things will begin to clear.

4. Acknowledge your fear.

Fear is a powerful thing. But most of the time it is just

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

When you take the time to acknowledge that it's there you can start to see past it. It will still be there, but it won't immobilize you.

5. Keep moving.

Fear will stop you if it can. It doesn't want you to succeed or grow. It wants you to remain just as you are. Don't let it win.

Next step: Don't give up. (Find ways to persevere and feel inspired even when you want to quit.)