What Are You Afraid Of?

Fear is a state of mind created by the perception of danger, be it real or imagined. Real fear is the body’s natural response to a threat. Real fear is created from situations like an encounter with a vicious dog or narrowly avoiding a car accident. In situations like these, our bodies instinctively respond by either fighting or fleeing also known as “fight or flight”.  The latter, imagined fear, appears at the simple thought of an unpleasant situation and not from actual events.

This imagined fear is the main reason we play it safe and refuse to take chances. This fear is what prevents us from finding new ways to solve our problems and living a peaceful and abundant life. Three common fears that sabotage our success in life are the Fear of Failure, Fear of Success, and Fear of Criticism.

1.      Fear of Failure

You question your ability to complete a task successfully. You believe you are inadequate and unqualified. You are afraid you will disappoint others in the process and bring shame to yourself. Rather than enduring the embarrassment, you play it safe and avoid the task.

2.      Fear of Success

You are afraid of the attention and responsibility that comes with the success. You doubt your ability to live up to the expectations associated with success. You are afraid of being talked about in a negative way.

3.      Fear of Criticism

You care what others think of you and give value to the opinions of others. You worry about looking foolish or incompetent. You do not want to be judged by anyone.

If you allow these fears to control you, you will remain stuck in your professional and personal life. Do not give in to these fears. Have faith in your abilities and realize your powers. Faith and fear cannot exist in the same space, they are opposites. Faith is the belief that you can attain the things you want in life, and fear is not. Increase your faith with positive daily affirmations and remove worry and doubt from your mind.