Beating Fear!

We've all felt it.

The vice like grip of adrenaline, the pounding heart, the racing
pulse and the tight throat, the sweaty palms. Yep, that's what
happens to us all when we succumb to FEAR!

Whether it be a spider, a speech in front of an audience, an
exam, a near car crash or a bump in the night, they all elicit
the same reaction.

When I stop to consider all the physical symptoms that fear
brings about, I am in awe at the autonomic functions of our
physical selves. The completely automatic reactions our bodies
produce in order to activate the 'Flight or Fight' response.

Think now, how in a non life-threatening situation, we can take
control, with our minds, of not only our physical but also our
emotional response to a fearful situation.

I've just re-read the amazing book by Dr Susan Jeffers entitled
'Feel the Fear...And Do It Anyway!' She talks about the responses
we should actively encourage ourselves to feel, if we want to
overcome fearful situations.

The 'Fight or Flight' response to a dangerous situation is one
of the amazing systems the body uses to survive. This is a
brilliant example of how our subconscious conditioning can
save us, without a contemplative thought process being involved.

However, when we allow that same non contemplative, automatic
response to govern our everyday lives, we need to do something
about it.

We need to realize that any barrier in our mind is there
because of past conditioning. The subconscious is like a
jigsaw puzzle. The initial pieces get placed in a certain
pattern, typically by the time we are 6, and get cemented
in place. This 'jigsaw' forms our map of life. The subconscious
now KNOWS not to touch a hot oven plate as well as KNOWing
that you have certain shortcomings that you'll never be able
to change!

The subconscious holds on to this pre-determined pattern for
dear life. This is what it knows to be true of its Universe
and it will fight to save it. This is the reason why you can
sometimes try as hard as you like, and still fail.

This is where subconscious conditioning comes into play.

Sometimes the fear of overcoming the fear is greater than
the original fear. It means we will have to go out and DO
SOMETHING about our fears (and that can be really scary:-)

The feeling, however, that you experience once you've
conquered that fear, is the most amazingly exhilarating
feeling around. To know that you looked that audience square
in the eyes and delivered the best speech of your life,
fills you with a tremendous sense of achievement and a
solid foundation that says, 'I CAN do anything!'

Strive always to 'Feel the Fear...And Do It Anyway! The
exhilaration you will feel on overcoming a blockage that
has plagued you for so long, will be well worth the blood,
sweat and tears of blasting through that barrier.