Some weeks ago I made a decision that will change the course of my life as I have known it for the last forty-two months. There are two types of emotions attached to this decision, the first set of emotions are pride, self-esteem, freedom (in a funny sort of way) and hope. Amid the warm glow of self-esteem and hope, there is a second lone emotion, a raging fear; fear of the unknown.
According to H. P. Lovecraft ‘The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown’.
The fear of the unknown is a situation where we find ourselves at our wit's end while thinking of embarking upon something we are not acquainted with if allowed to continue the fear can ultimately lead to an extremely limited lifestyle, devoid of the various essences in life.
I knew that the decision had been long in coming, and that was as good a time as any other, but the knowledge didn't stop the fear, so I hit the web looking to see how to deal with fear, I found two materials that have helped me, one is from a random site (http://www.pickthebrain.com), and the other is from the blog of a friend (http://beatsofadifferentheart.wordpress.com).
How to
Beat the Fear of the Unknown
When my coaching
clients find their purpose in life, they become so enthusiastic about their new
discovery.
But the fear of the
unknown leaves them in a frozen status.
They are afraid of
entering and exploring the new ground, because they think they might get in
trouble. They are afraid of losing what they already have by jumping into the
unknown.
So, they remain
paralyzed.
They know what they
should be doing, but they can’t take action because they think there is a risk
involved with this big life transition.
The
Internal Conflict between What You Want and What You Already Have
Yes, you will be
leaving your well known life and begin to embrace a totally new lifestyle.
But, here’s something
that’s worth thinking about:
Aren’t you already in
trouble?!
What urged you to
search for your true passion?
Weren’t you hungry
for a meaning in your life?
Aren’t you already
feeling the pain of being lost and wandering aimlessly through life lacking a
real purpose?
Are you happy with
doing work that has no meaning and wasting your precious time doing something that
doesn’t really matter to you?
This
Shallow Life Leaves You Already In Trouble!
So, what do you have
to lose?
As Steve Jobs says,
“You’re already naked, so there is no reason why you don’t follow your heart”
Life is short. So,
get out of your fears, do something and make a difference.
In fact, once you
start taking action, you’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t, and you
will soon gain clarity about what you should be doing to live and connect your
passion to a profitable path.
The only way to beat
the fear of the unknown is to take the first step. If you’re afraid of
getting in trouble, remember that you’re already in a bigger trouble by not
following your heart. If you listen to the voice of your fears, you’ll
live an empty life. But, if you listen to the voice of your heart, you’ll
live a remarkable life.
Take the first step
and beat the fear of the unknown. There is nothing to lose and everything
to gain.
The Parts
That Count
by F.C. Adimefe
When the
pains of staying at your present location exceeds the fears and uncertainties
of venturing into your future destination… Life will demand that you move; you
don’t always have to know where you are moving to, but just be sure on what you
are running away from. The rest is faith!
When the pains of your silence have exceeded the grips of your trying to please
man….Life will demand that you speak against something that you don’t agree
with; you don’t always need to know how best to put across what you stand for,
but be sure you are clear on what you stand against. The rest is justice!
When you experience
that magical feeling…. Life will demand that you love- when love matters- you
don’t always have to love for a reason or know those who loves you, just be
sure you know those you love and you let them know how much they are loved. The
best of love is seeing in giving and not always in receiving.
When the
mountain before you is covering your view…Life demand that you move a piece of
stone one at a time-you don’t need to know how much difference the little
effort is paying- Just persist, and keep at it until the mountain becomes a plain.
For mountains are collections of tiny stones.
I don’t know how long you've let your fear cripple you or hold you back in a spot, but think about it, wouldn't you rather know that you dared to do what you wanted and was unsuccessful at it than to be stuck in a box feeling suffocated when the only thing holding you back is your fear?
*Use the comment box, tell us about your fears and how you conquered them*
