Fear will hold you back from success if you let it. Stand fast, and learn to overcome your fears so you can have success in life.

Do you believe that fear is holding you back? How do you react to something that you can’t see but that somehow has a hold of your mind? It could be as simple as worrying about how you’ll cope at work with a boss that is just two fries short of a happy meal, or whether you’ll have enough money to survive for the next week or month etc.

Fear can take many forms and affect us all differently, but it only has the reach and hold on us that we allow it to have. Remember this and apply it as you see fit. Personally, I believe that every circumstance comes and goes and that experiences, whether good or bad, only last for a time and a season.

All too often I have seen smart people afraid of making decisions that would see them reach that next level in life because of fear. The only reason fear is successful is because we let it creep in and take over. We leave it unchecked and often feel powerless against it, we make excuses to justify to ourselves, why we just can’t overcome.

What if you broke that chain?

In an internal job interview I once had with a department head, I was given a valuable piece of advice that I would like to share with you. Don’t he a victim. It’s a simple and complex piece of advice. He implied that it was my choice and that what happened in my life depended solely on me. One of the complexities of this advice is that we sometimes feel that our circumstances dictate our choices and therefore path.

I’ve come to believe that this too is an illusion of victimhood, a resignation to the feeling of helplessness we feel when we give in to what we believe to be either too much effort or insurmountable odds. Generally it’s the latter because we don’t want to do what it takes to succeed, and we come up with reasons why we defeat ourselves. That point is that it’s really up to us to push ourselves to get the results we want.

Every success we experience takes action on our part. Having an idea or even a plan to success is great but ultimately useless unless we take action. The fear of obstacles along the way will often deflate our initial enthusiasm. Chief of these obstacles is the fear of confrontation with other people who have different ideas or points of view on our vision.

The fear of confrontation is quite often why we don’t succeed or take our plans all the way to their end. I hate using this analogy, but no one ever made an omelette without breaking a few eggs. If you truly believe in yourself and want to achieve success, than you cannot afford to be scared, and stand for what you believe.

“There is no illusion greater than fear”

-Lao Tzu

You have all tuat it takes to become as successful as you’ll allow yourself to be, but it takes strength and focus on your part. Plenty of people will come and go that don’t care for your success, this may even include friends sometimes. Recognise those anchors and get rid of them because they will ultimately weigh you down to the point where you’ll want to settle.

Be fearless, stay focused and remember that it all begins and ends with you. Be confident in your abilities and don’t doubt yourself or your decisions, stick by them. And no matter what happens along the way, good or bad, remain true to yourself and be original.

Work on becoming an individual free of fear and one who has their own thoughts and opinions. Give yourself time to do these things because it won’t always be easy. You’ll earn the respect of your peers and even newpeople you’ll meet. You will also gain confidence and soon find people gravitating towards you because you will have the attributes of a leader.

Remember,

“Try not. Do or do not. There is no try”

-Yoda