Fear

Ursula K. Le Guin, an American author, proclaimed, “Great self-destruction follows upon unfounded fear.” It’s true that, in life, we have much to fear. In fact, if we really think about the challenges we face daily, we can probably justify our fears--fear of getting killed in a car crash, as a pedestrian, from illness, or from a random act of violence. But, we should also remind ourselves that unfounded or unjustified fear can be paralyzing. It can control us to the point that we dramatically change our behaviors and inhibit our success. Combine fear with our leashes, and we have a powerful deterrent to change. When we identify our fears (or externalize them), however, the fears tend to lose some of their control. How can we change this cycle? As mentioned, identify your fears. Write them down to see whether these fears can be justified. In most cases, few of our fears can be justified. Other fears can be minimized just by informing ourselves of their origin, educating ourselves, and talking about our fears with others. Our natural inclination is to fear what's unknown, but once known, they hold less power.