Face Fear Head – On and Just Do It

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. – Nelson Mandela

One meaning of the word fear is ‘‘to take flight’’, so the phrase ‘‘fear not’’ in a very real sense means ‘‘Don’t run away from what frightens you’’. Indecision wastes a lot of time, and time is too precious to waste. If you’ll become a confident, decisive person, you’ll accomplish a lot more with less effort. No one learns without making mistakes, don’t be overly concerned about errors. You are a fallible, imperfect human being but you can rejoice because we have the ability to grow & strengthen ourselves. Learn from your mistakes, correct the ones you can, and trust in yourself.

History is filled with examples of people who are famous for doing great things-yet if we study their lives, we find that they failed miserably before they succeeded. Their real strength was not their talent as much as it was their tenacity. Consider these examples:

–    NBA legend Michael Jordon was once cut from his high school basketball team.

–    After his first audition, Fred Astaire received the following assessment: ‘‘Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little’’.

–    Best-selling author Max Lucado had his first book rejected by 14 publishers.

–    Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he lacked ideas.

These people succeeded in a variety of different endeavors, but they had one thing in common, perseverance. A refusal to give up is one of the symptoms of confidence, and thankfully, confidence can be yours if you believe in yourself. Keep doing what you know is the right thing for you, and eventually you will enjoy the breakthrough you desire.

An exhilarating life often requires us to take bold steps of faith. So many people are unsatisfied with their lives simply because they won’t step out into new things they desire to do. They want to stay in ‘‘the safe zone’’, which may feel secure, but is not always where the joy and adventure of life can be found. You have the power to have a vibrant life, don’t let fear keep you from enjoying that life and destroying your destiny. As I like to say, ‘‘Feel the fear and do it anyway-do it afraid!’’ Encourage yourself everyday & include more variety in your life. Try new things, when you start feeling that life is getting stale and tasteless, add a little spice by doing something different. Start thinking and saying, ‘‘I will not live in fear.’’

What will you do when you are tempted to be afraid? Will you run, or will you stand firm?

By: Joelene Pillay