Is Fear Holding You Back?
 E. Carol Webster, Ph.D. 
Copyright © 2003

Many very capable people fail to get ahead in life because of fear. They hang on the sideline watching life go by and harbor great resentment that they're not as successful as other people around them. Fear can be crippling.

But -- fears can be controlled or eliminated once you learn what to expect and how to behave when you're confronted by them. There is power in positive thinking and you must take active steps to make sure your thoughts are promoting your success.

It's important to remember that when you're raised to expect great things for yourself, you develop confidence and conviction that you are entitled to success. This helps to prevent you from dwelling on the normal failures and disappointments that can happen in life. It allows you to learn from mistakes, to brush them aside, and then put revised strategies in place to try again. If you didn't get this type of empowerment while growing up -- take heart -- you can teach it to yourself. It's never too late to learn.

Begin by focusing on your strengths and refuse to let weaknesses take over your mind. Many people use daily positive affirmations to overwrite the negative script they carry around in their head and repeat these positive sayings and phrases throughout the day to boost their confidence. Saying "I can make it to the top" may seem hollow in the beginning, but you have to start somewhere and you must reprogram your thoughts to be positive and proactive, not negative and reactive. 

Try these Self-Assurance Stimulators to fight fear today. 

Is fear holding you back? Take active steps to fight this fear so that you can move forward in your life. Start by overwriting negative tapes in your head that say "You're never going to make it." and replace them with a steadfast "Oh yes I am!" Set clear goals for where you're headed, take a deep breath, and go for it! 

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