Some Incontrovertible Truths About Fear

Based on Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

In Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway®, Susan Jeffers revealed truths about fear to empower us to move forward with our lives. There are very few of us who escape feelings of fear and self-doubt as we go through life. But we can all learn how to create within us a wonderful sense of confidence and peace of mind as we face all the situations in our lives. An understanding of these truths about fear will help us to find the way.

• The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow.
 At first look you might say, "Oh, goodie! All I have to do is not grow anymore. After all, I'm quite safe and content where I am." This is so unrealistic since, as long as you are here, fear will always be your companion because you cannot avoid taking steps into the unknown. This first truth shows that you can't wait around for the fear to go away. Susan acknowledged that, if you do, you will be waiting a very long time.

Fear is quite determined. Each time you accomplish one thing, the next step into the unknown will occur and new fears will arise for you. You may grow out of being afraid of the dark, but that doesn't stop you feeling fear in other situations. Once you realize that fear is not going to go away, you can feel relieved because you no longer have to work so hard to get rid of fear. No matter what you do, whether your fears are big or little (and the bigger they are, the bigger your life is becoming) you will always find fear by your side. It's futile to wait until you're no longer afraid because...

• The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it. 
Susan acknowledged that this might sound like a contradiction. She just told us that fears don't go away. However, she explained, "When you 'do it' often enough, you will no longer be afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown and you will have handled it." This makes perfect sense.

It's true that sometimes you can't "do" something you're afraid of. Susan separated fears into those that are instinctual and healthy, and keep us alert to trouble, and those that hold us back from personal growth. It is those latter fears that require action. There is nothing as satisfying as taking action. Action in itself is very powerful, and it helps us sculpt our experience of life instead of feeling we have no choices.

• The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and...do it.
 Before you can feel better about yourself, you have to go out and "do it." When you have accomplished something, not only does the fear go away, but you get a big bonus - you do a lot toward building your self-confidence. The threat behind the fear is the thought that you can't handle it. Each time you overcome fear, it increases your confidence and, as your confidence grows, you will know that you can handle more and more. So the objective is to keep mastering challenging situations in your life by dealing with your fear. It will feel so good that you will be looking for more challenges to take on. Fear will no longer hold you back as your self-confidence continues to grow.

These truths are an integral part of Susan's Higher Self teaching. Remembering these truths will help you connect to your Higher Self - the best of who you are. She reassured us with these words, "There is something inside of you - your Higher Self - that is always there to handle elegantly, beautifully, intelligently, powerfully and lovingly, anything and everything that can ever happen to you." Believe that, feel the connection to your Higher Self, and you'll have no reason not to take action!

Susan's remaining incontrovertible truths about fear will be covered in a later newsletter article.

Inspired by the Fear and Do It Anyway® by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.  Copyright © 2012