How to: Fear Less & Live More🗝

Rule your mind or it will rule you

The greatest prison people live in, is the fear of what other people think

Fear. The number one thing that keeps you away from anything you want.

(In-depth Instagram caption)

Many of us desire change, in whatever area of life that may be, but for some reason that change doesn't happen and we wonder why. Sometimes we come up with reasons that sound almost so convincing that we don't realize they actually are well-dressed excuses.

Nobody and nothing is more responsible for your life and for change, than you. 

We tend to highlight our weaknesses and insecurities rather than our strengths, until we begin to question our own abilities and decision making. It is in you genetics to dislike change, and view anything that is outside of your comfort zone as scary and risky. 

• Humans are afraid of the unknown
• Humans are driven by habits
• Humans are obsessed with the past

And it makes great sense if you think about it. Your brain's main purpose is to protect you from danger and keep you alive.

Back in time when our ancestors had to fight over food and shelter, this built in mechanism was developed to help you survive. Based on your past experiences, you could trust the things you had done before, feel save eating certain things and walking certain paths. Trying something new, like a certain fruit could mean your death. It deeply roots in our brain that the unknown means risk and risk means danger, which is why we feel fear or anxiety whenever we try something where the outcome is not of certainty. 

FEAR USED TO KEEP US SAFE, NOW IT KEEPS US SMALL! 

In today's world however this mechanism in most cases doesn't help, but hurt you. This mechanism cannot distinguish between an endangering life-decision and small risks associated to any kind of change.
We are more than aware that there are risks with any decision, but we ignore that there's usually the same amount of risk in not doing something, as there is in doing something. Sometimes making the decision to "not make the decision" or "just not do it" is by far the more devastating one.

A great example is entrepreneurship and why it's considered  a "risky" choice. The traditional path has been walked a billion times before. When you study, you get a degree, which gets you a job. This path your mind conducts as certain and safe, meanwhile it is afraid of the path fewer have walked, despite the fact that this exact path is the only one you want to go. Your inner-voice, that built in mechanism doesn't care about what you want, all it wants to do is protect you from the unknown, even if the unknown means your greatest success and the most fulfilling life.

Now there are two options: Hide and remain where you're at OR speak to your fear, let it know that you are grateful for its presence, but that in this case you got it under control, you know what you want and you are going to make the decisions regarding your life, not your fear. Your fear is not you! and it need to learn that. The more you teach it, the better it listens.

Just like the fear of the unknown is deeply installed within us, self-doubt is like fear's big sister, originally there to protect us from making mistakes, stupid decisions that could cost us our lives. It serves to support our self-assessment, make sure that we think, do research, ask questions, analyze and evaluate before reaching daring to try something. If we would not doubt that we could do some things in life, like jump off a building and fly, I doubt I'd still be around (did I just write this? yes I did :D )

So what's my point? Once again, thank self-doubt every time it comes around for being there.

“Generally, self-doubt is connected to vulnerability. When we’re open and exposed, we may get hurt or make mistakes. So self-doubt serves as protection by holding us back or asking for reassurance.!

Self-doubt can be a healthy tool, but only if not given too much care. Welcome self-doubt every time it comes around as part of the creative process, connected to change. If you've been an in a cooperate job your whole life, your family knows that, your friends do, but deep inside you feel the desire to become an actor/actress, you likely to have fear and self-doubt accompany you soon. 

Try to catch them like "oh there they are, I've been waiting for you" and then consciously do it anyway. If you ask other people, and as humans we seek the advice of others' over our own, you might get discouraged soon, since other people have the mechanism of fear and self-doubt installed in themselves, so their false beliefs would turn into destructive advice. 

Learn to trust yourself, by committing to making a decision on your own. When you practice this skill continually, you will restore your lost confidence. Only when we practice building up strong confidence, we will be able to act inspite of fear, criticism, self-doubt, the opinions of others and as a result achieve the impossible, break limitations, unleash our potential, and inspire many who feel stuck in self-doubt and fear.

I hope you enjoyed the read. I would love to know what you would be doing, if you weren't afraid OR something you did inspite of fear and how it turned out.

Much love,

- Mrs.Steemit