The Personal Power of Constructive Fear

Luckygirliegirl .

The Personal Power of Constructive Fear

My friend’s daughter had a favorite book growing up. It wasn’t well-known. Her mom found the book in a thrift store, and it was written by a speaker wanting to find a unique way to connect with her audience. It’s about a mouse family living in a pantry and the trials and tribulations the mouse kids have to overcome.

One of the stories in the book is about the little girl mouse. She ends up getting stuck in a box of cereal. The only way her mom and dad find her is she finds the “prize”—a cheap plastic whistle—and blows and blows until her family finds her. But that still doesn’t get her out of the box. Her dad tells her that she has to curl up in a ball while the mice on the outside rock the box back and forth until it falls over.

“I’m scared, Daddy,” the little mouse peeps.

Check out what her dad tells her: “Being afraid doesn’t mean that you can’t be brave.”

The story might have been my friend’s favorite, but whatever the case, it says something important about fear.

There’s a lot of times when we are afraid. It’s how you respond to the fear that is important.

There is such a thing as having constructive fear. This is when you make fear helpful to the situation, promoting constructive actions and positive behaviors.

Fear can be placed into two categories:

Destructive fear – Paralyzing fear or destructive fear at best discourages you, and at worst it causes you to stand still or even move backward. When we are paralyzed by fear, we retreat into ourselves, into our own little world of self-doubt and even self-negation. It can manifest in little things, like not doing something because you’re afraid of making mistakes. It can stop you from doing something bold and daring, something that could break open your whole business—or world.

Constructive fear – Constructive fear occurs when you are fearful of something, but it could still help you move up a little higher if you let it. This fear not only causes you to move away from the bad consequence, but also motivates you to become a better person.

How To Make Fear Constructive

If you tend to make fear destructive, you are not alone. Everyone experiences fear, but how you act in the face of fear sets you apart. Are you going to succumb to your fear or find ways to be successful at overcoming your fears?

Know that where there’s fear, there’s power.

Turning your fear into power might seem like a daunting task at first, but here’s a simple process I use to pursue my passions and visions despite my fear.

5 Steps to Turn Fear Into Power

Self-reflection and Positive Self-Talk

When you feel nervous, anxious, afraid, or uncertain, take some time to dig deep inside and look at what’s underneath those feelings.

Are you nervous about submitting a proposal for that project because you’re afraid of rejection? What if you don’t get the project? Does that mean you’re not good or smart enough or that you will never get another opportunity or experience like this again?

Rejection can happen, but if you’ve put the work in, if you’ve done your best, it simply isn’t true that you’re not “good enough.” That’s typical but very debilitating harmful self-talk. We’ve all indulged in harmful self-talk at some point in our lives.

Harmful self-talk feeds on fear.

When your self-talk begins to go down that path of destruction, stop.

Be truthful with yourself and figure out what’s causing your anxiety. If you keep telling yourself stories about this anxiety and how it impacts you during the day, you’ll never get over it. However, realize it’s all in your head. Allow yourself to let go of the need to carry out scenarios in your mind. You might just discover it is all an illusion.

Here’s another way to deal with negative self-talk: Instead of talking about yourself in a derogatory way, write down what you’re thinking.

Then here’s the key: turn your negative statements into positive ones.

As an example, if your limiting belief is “I don’t deserve true success because I haven’t put in enough effort,” reverse it and write:

“I deserve to achieve success on my own terms, while still having fun and enjoying a life of abundance!”

Say this affirmation aloud every morning as you get ready to start your day.

Better still, repeat it confidently 10 times in front of the mirror!

Consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of the following two scenarios:

Despite your fears, you embraced your passions and vision.

b. You decide to keep things as they are.

You’ll probably discover that acting in the face of fear has more advantages than keeping the status quo.

This may just make your fears far less daunting or scary than you first thought.

Acknowledge it.

Each fear can be compared to a barrier that separates us from the freedom we want. It makes sense to seek out freedom. Whatever it takes, we must break through the wall of fear so that we can find freedom to create, to do what we want, to have the fruits of our labor.

There’s no need to skirt around fear or convince yourself that it’s unimportant. It’s right there. But the best thing to do is acknowledge it and then act on it when you experience it.

Lean into the fear

Challenge yourself, feel the discomfort, and grow as a result of it. Ultimately, this is how you can push through the wall. Success truly does await you on the other side.

Turn fear into power.

When you do, you unleash the power within.

So, how does one turn fear into power, resulting in rapid change and personal breakthroughs?

Here are a few ways that can help:

Allow yourself to be exposed to the things that frighten you.
Act without fear, and do what needs to be done even though fear is present in your mind. (Remember, “Being afraid doesn’t mean that you can’t be brave.”)
Begin by doing something that isn’t as frightening to you. Recognize that it isn’t as bad as it seems, and then proceed to the next level. Seeing yourself taking action encourages you to have more faith in yourself. This provides you with the motivation to try new things.
Get out of your comfort zone.

Your instincts are more powerful than your fears. Learn how to listen to it and how to put it to good use.

It’s time to celebrate.

Give yourself a pat on the back for overcoming your fears and remember to celebrate your victories (big or small) along the way.

This will maintain your positive momentum and ensure that good things continue to come your way!

Choosing to follow these five simple steps allows you to look beneath the surface and uncover what’s truly behind your fear. This can ultimately lead you down the path of taking back your personal power.

With each action you take, you become more aligned with who you are and what you want in life, making it easier to achieve your goals.

Are you ready to harness your fears and turn your fears into power?

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