Logic would dictate that overcoming something that frightens you makes you stronger and more self- reliant. By embracing your fears, you are creating a much more efficient and practical way of dealing with them. You don’t have to climb Mount Everest or jump out of a perfectly good airplane to move through your anxieties; oftentimes just dealing appropriately with the stress and worry of daily life can increase your self-confidence.
I was once told that faith is the opposite of fear, and whereas I see how having a belief in a higher power can make you feel safer, I also think that understanding why your fears exist, and learning the lessons they can teach us, are also very powerful tools.
For most of us there is a payoff to our fears. Yes, they can keep us physically safe so we don’t step off a cliff or try to pet a tiger, but there is often more to our fears than just keeping ourselves protected. Fears can make us more introspective and help us see exactly where we need to make adjustments so that we have the strength to accomplish the task at hand. Having the confidence to wrap your head around your fears and look at how they help or hurt you is a great exercise to help you not only overcome them, but also use them to accomplish your goals.
If you want to be a leader, public figure, or movie star, but you have panic attacks at the very thought of speaking to a room full of people, attaining that goal will be quite difficult. Admitting to yourself that you have a fear of speaking in public allows you to drop any pretense you may have had and feel good about getting better at it.
I don’t know anyone who has overcome or embraced their fears and not been better off and more confident for it. Whatever it is that scares the hell out of you should be tackled with the insight that, by hitting it head-on, you will vanquish the demons that reside in your mind.
Keep up the good work!
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward, it is not a compliment to say it is brave.” —Mark Twain