#8 — What you run from only stays with you longer
Fear can point out problems and act as a warning sign. Sometimes it motivates us toward what we want, but sometimes it limits us with what we think will keep us safe.
We’ll never live entirely without fear and that’s okay because it is not bad. It simply is a warning sign. It is what we do with that warning sign that makes all the difference. We can use it to develop solutions, or allow it to make us feel hopeless and do nothing as a result. Most of the time, what we feel is anxiety related to everyday things about money, jobs, and relationships.
We allow everyday fears to hold us back from doing something about it. They linger until they become toxic. If we can stop viewing stress and the fear that often accompanies it as negative and instead see the potential benefits, we can change our relationship with fear.
Studies show that being able to deal with intermittent stressors — a project at work or conflict with your spouse — to tackle them head on, contributes to better health, greater feelings of accomplishment and well-being.
Dealing with it makes you realize you’re capable of dealing with it. You gain the confidence that when bad things happen, you will find a way to handle them. Now you are better able to differentiate what’s actually worth being afraid of and what’s not.
To change our relationship with fear, we have to change our perception of it. When we see the value that fear offers, we can change how we respond. When we control our response we can face our fear. We stay, we deal with it, we have the though conversation. We become stronger as a result.
