"Triumph Over Fear” © White2011

Fear is defined as a distressing emotion. It’s aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. It doesn’t matter if the threat to us is real or imagined; that feeling is real!

When those feelings are imagined, we stir them up with our thoughts. We can shift those thoughts and choose to focus on others, even conjure up pleasant memories to influence our emotions.

I’m not suggesting ignore your feelings. They are strong indices of how things are and how you are. Acknowledge them; pay attention to them and learn from them. Often, strong feelings can be predictors of what’s to come.

At the same time, we’re deluged by media and others’ views that influence us. We cannot act like a sieve. Rather, we are to be astute gardeners and weed.

However, when the threat is real, we need to act. We gather information, resources and keep up communications without fear blocking us from acting. We listen to the fear, become informed and take charge.

After you’ve become aware and identified the fear ask if it’s still controlling you. If your fear intensifies or is more imagined than true and gets in your way:

Focus on more pleasant thoughts and images and intensify them.
Breathe into the fear.
Conjure up times in your mind when you acted courageously.

Realize that you can do whatever necessary, even when you feel fear in your gut, your throat, and your entire body or being. That’s what makes us heroes.

Consciously work with your own fears, conquer them one by one by just doing it anyway. Become a hero to yourself. Even heroes get help and seek out a professional coach, so if you want more support, get it.