The Positive Side of Fear
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do”.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Fear gets a bad rap. It’s understandable; not many people enjoy the feeling. While you first experience fear in your mind, it triggers a physical reaction as well. Stress hormones are released, your heart rate and blood pressure rise, and you start breathing faster. Lots of us go out of our way to avoid feeling fear but at the end of the day, it’s a natural and normal part of the human experience.
Fear exists to keep us safe and if you can learn to embrace this terrifying emotion, it can be truly empowering.
We don’t just experience fear in dangerous situations like skydiving or coming face-to-face with a bear, or in classically “scary” situations like watching a horror film or walking alone at night. Fear can be felt in the face of more ordinary circumstances. A career change or pursuing a dream like starting your own business can kick your heart rate up. When embraced, fear can be harnessed as a driving force, propelling us forward.
Fear Keeps You Present
Fear creates an opportunity to check-in and tend to yourself. When you notice you feel afraid, you can breathe and choose mindfulness. Being fearful of a future outcome gives you the focus to plan and work towards a positive end result. The B.R.E.A.T.H.E Method is one that can help you center yourself and be mindful in the face of fear. Download it here.
Fear is Informative
Fear can alert you to the fact that something is wrong and needs to change. For example, in the workplace, if you are afraid that you won’t be able to get everything done, there may be a bigger structural issue that can be addressed. Do you need more support? Do you need to manage the expectations of your workflow? Fear can prompt us to be proactive.
Fear Removes Barriers
Fear makes you examine what's holding you back. Are you afraid to ask for a raise because you’re scared your boss will say no? Are you putting off training for a marathon because you’re worried you won’t follow through? Whatever the reasons, fears give us the opportunity to look at why we aren’t behaving in line with our goals and can reveal where we have the agency to remove those barriers.
Fear Can Motivate
Fear of staying the same, fear of the status quo, fear of the patriarchy are all fears that can light a fire in your belly, keep you moving forward, and help you make big positive leaps. If you are uncomfortable in the situation you are in, you are motivated to change it and do the work that the change entails.
Be mindful when it comes to fear and it won’t be such a paralyzing emotion. If you allow fear to stop you, you are giving power to your fears. Let’s flip the script on this fear thing. Face your fears, and allow them to empower you.
It may just be the spark you are looking for.