10th Aug 2010
I have not ceased to being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me.
Erica Jong
Fear is just a feeling as happiness is. There is nothing wrong in getting fearful. We have to fear something, just as we like something. The most important thing is how we use fear. What is even more important is who is in control? Are we in control of fear or are we controlled by fear! If we are in control, we can use fear as a positive energy. On the other hand if we allow fear to take over our faculty, we will become stuck and immobile.
One way to keep us from the fear controlling us is to get ready and take charge of our life. We have to become alert to what is in store for us and do an SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat). We have to be absolutely clear on what we can do and what we cannot do and be realistic on our expectations.
Another way is to do an audit of our skill inventory and resources to check is we are ready to face the threats we are likely to encounter. We need to check if we are adequately covered and if we have a countermeasure to meet challenges on our way to our goals. If we do it, we will not be controlled by fear.
The third way is to develop an attitude to treat every failure as an opportunity to learn and not as a reflection on our personality. We have to understand that if at all we have to succeed in life, we should be ready to face difficulties and challenges. In fact this principle is even more appropriate if we want to achieve bigger goals in life.
It's needless to stress the importance of self confidence and self belief. The more self confidence we have the more we will be able to control fear and use the same as a positive energy to take bigger risks and challenges.
After reading this piece, recall the last occasion you were fearful, and check if you were controlled by the fear or you were in control!
N C Sridharan
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