To Go Beyond Fear Means To Go Through

Do you feel that something is holding you back? Maybe it's subtle, but those are feelings of fear. Why are you not doing what you know you want to do? The only way to overcome fear is to go through it. In this article, we are going to explore just how the dynamics around resolving fears work. 

You are physically safe, and you need a better way to deal with fear.

We all live with them and they are guiding many of our decisions. Feelings of insecurity and even real fear. Physically speaking, most of us live in very safe environments. We do not have to fear on a daily basis to be harmed by some wild animal or poison ourselves by eating the wrong plant. Our fears are of a psychological nature. Those fears do not feel less real, but we can deal with them effectively once we know how to approach them.

If you have been wanting to do something, but you find yourself not doing it over and over again, there is a good chance, fear is involved. Usually, people think about the situation and try to think themselves out of fear. This rational approach of explaining why it is not necessary to feel the fear does not work. Fear is a primal instinct, it arises before rational thought. A different approach is needed. 

The only way to actually overcome fear is to go through it. This means you have to be prepared to feel the fear and not see it as something to be avoided. Here, present mindfulness is the key ability that you need. With mindfulness, you can experience the fear and still be able to act. Invite the fear and see it for what it is. The fear is a sign that you are in the process of personal growth. This is the process by which you truly outgrow your fear.

What is even more surprising is that, when you are present with the experience of fear, it has no more power. It actually can be an interesting, if not enjoyable experience. But you do not get there, by just telling yourself to let go of the fear. The fear does not go away. Never. Only the things that scare you are going to change. For example, if you hate to be fearful of talking to strangers, you can go through that fear by just doing the activity. But don't hope to not feel fear or discomfort. You can observe the fear though and let it pass through you without resistance. In the future, you will be much less fearful of talking to strangers. But fear itself will not go away. You are still afraid of a million other things, you may just not notice them because you don't experience them right now.

To overcome fear, do not hope to not feel it. By accepting your fear, you do not make it disappear. You only allow yourself to do the things you are afraid of regardless. Fear may still pass through your inner space. Acceptance of fear allows the feeling in, but without getting attached to it, nor to resist it. Counterintuitively, overcoming fears means feeling them and allowing them the space to arise and to pass away. It is certainly one of the challenging aspects of the spiritual journey, but also the most rewarding because it can reveal the beauty in even the worst of moments. Long-term, fear is effectively overcome through mindfulness practices like meditation and all-day-awareness. 


Should you ever decide that you have enough of your fears and can't seem to get past them, no matter what, feel free to contact me for specific one-on-one coaching to let go of your fears. 

I would like to hear about your personal experiences with fear. Write me a personal message through the contact form on the right. And don't forget to subscribe to new articles.