The Power of Conquering Fear

You must do the thing that you fear until the fear of that thing becomes no more.”
- Brian Tracy

One day, not too long ago,  I was looking for spiritual answers to some situations that I was facing. I got hit with the truth.  It was brought to my attention that my life and motives had been based on fear. I had feared that people would not love me if I stood up for myself. I had feared that people would not understand me when I needed them to. I had feared that failure would always overtake my efforts in life no matter how well I performed. Ultimately, in spite of the plethora of God-given talents and abilities, which I possess, I feared being a complete and total failure in life.

It was very shocking for me to come to this realization. I had always felt that I had a natural zest for life, but there was always a “glass ceiling” that I just could not seem to break through. I could always “see” what I could be, but actually becoming that person often time eluded me. You see, fear is a great paralyzer. It lulls one into believing that gloom and doom are always “inevitable.” Fear causes great people to accept mediocrity. It also causes death and destruction to lives and dreams of most people. Where there is overwhelming procrastination, there is fear. Where there is great anger, there is fear. Where there is extreme hatred, there is fear. Where there is complacency, there is fear. Where there was failure, ultimately, fear was there.

That brought me back to something else that I never consciously realized; that fear is a mind-set. Thus, anything that is set in your mind got there from a thought or set of thoughts. However, there is a good thing about thoughts. That good thing is that thoughts can be corrected by consciously choosing to think better thoughts. If you constantly fear that you are going to be “sick,” just as sure as the Titanic struck a block of ice in 1912, you are going to be “sick.” So to correct your “sickness” before it happens, start consciously choosing “healthy” thoughts.

This ideology holds true in most walks of life. Henry Ford, world-renowned industrialist and automotive pioneer, once stated that, “whether you think that you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Ford often successfully overcame fear. You see, he only had a sixth grade education. By most standards, he would have been considered illiterate and ignorant. One thing was very true, Ford was very “ignorant.” Mr. Ford was so “ignorant,” that he committed himself to the “outrageous” dream of building automobiles with little formal education. Ford was so “ignorant,” that he pioneered the “V” shaped engine, something that his “smart” engineers said “couldn’t” be done. In essence, Ford was so “ignorant,” until he forgot to “fear” things that most people with his set of “limitations” were supposed to. I guess he just didn’t get fear’s memo!

I’m pretty sure that there is somebody out there right now driving their Taurus, Explorer, Expedition, or some other Ford family vehicle, to a job that is murdering their dreams of greatness. These people are probably 1000 times “smarter” than Henry Ford was. So “smart” that they think “security” is going to come by working for someone else the rest of their lives. I sincerely believe and teach people to be bold in their journey through life. Boldness breaks the bondage of fear. Boldness is defined as the willingness to face risk fearlessly.

What do you have dreams of doing or being? What is holding you back? For the first question, I know some people will answer things becoming a singer, writing a book, starting a new business, buying a new car, and etc. However, for the second question, I know that tons of fear-based excuses will come up. Things like, “I’m too old,” “I’m too young,” “I’m a woman,” “I’m Black,” “I don’t have a lot of money,” and the like. In this article, I have been spiritually led to tell you the truth. Your boldness will lead you to the result of question one, and defeat the untruths of question two. World-renowned writer, speaker, and pastor, Joyce Meyer, describes fear as “False Evidence Appearing Real.” The truth of the matter is that success at whatever it is you so choose, knows no such boundaries as race, sex, age, gender, creed, or religious preference. Thus there is no reason for fear to keep you in bondage anymore. The following, are five steps to unleashing your power over F.E.A.R.

5 Steps to Unleashing Your Power Over Fear

Become “ignorant” to fear
Don't let fear have time to think
Always speak faith  and belief
Create and maintain a positive outlook of yourself
Continue to execute the thing(s) that you fear until fear disappears

Become "ignorant" to fear:

Fear appears in many different forms. It can come from negative self (i.e. “I can’t do this,” “I’m not good at this,” etc.). It can come from negative media forecasts (i.e. bad predictions of the economy, bad weather reports, reports of murder, gossip, etc.). Remember the story of Henry Ford? He could have been nothing in this lifetime because of what he could not do (and the reasons were numerous), but his fears took a back seat to his ability to ignore any ideas that were not in congruence with his dream. Therefore, you must mute the voice of fear by limiting (or completely eliminating) your contact with fear-causing entities (i.e. news reports, newspapers, failure-conscious people, etc.).

Don't let fear have time to think:

Thoughts are powerful. A single thought can be responsible for life or death in this world. And anything that you think about long enough will find its way into the physical realm. Therefore, if you were to spend time thinking about the things that you want out of life (I mean conscious concentrate), you begin to see them. Conversely, the same is true for the things that you don’t want in life. Commit your time to faith and believing, not fear and doubt.

Always speak faith and belief:

According to scripture, life and death are in the power of the tongue. God framed this world from faithful speech (Genesis 1). Fear lives in doubt and disbelief. To frame your own world free of debilitating fear, always think, act, and speak positively in faith and belief. Be bold and say things as you want them to be in your life. If it is a new house you want, say it! If it is a new car you want, say it! If it is a successful family life you want, say it! If it is a better job that you want, say it! As Henry Ford once stated, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”

Create and maintain a positive outlook of yourself:

I have a motto that goes like this, “If I know who and what I am, no one can tell me who and what I am not!” No matter what the world has decided to think about me, I have decided to think great thoughts about myself. Therefore, I am free of world’s often limiting belief system. I don’t worry about things like weather reports, poor economic forecasts, what celebrity just went to jail, and who does not believe in my dreams, because if God is for me, who or what can be against me (Romans 8:31)? Decide who and what you are right now and do not be moved negativity.

Continue to execute the thing(s) that you fear until fear disappears:

Success is active. Action dispels fear. If you sit still, fear has the time to paralyze your abilities and efforts, ultimately, causing you to fail. Continue to move toward your goals with great diligence and great courage!

                                                    Good luck and may success embrace you!