Fear is powerful. When used in a positive way, it can actually be helpful. You see fear is an instinct programed in the brain from thousands of years ago to protect humans from danger in the environment and subconsciously tell us that whatever we are doing or are about to do has potentially bad ramifications. In today’s day in age, of course we still need fear to deter us from danger, but how often does fear hold us back from chasing what we desire most? The answer to this question is more often than it should. As a matter of fact, most people live their lives in fear of many things that they shouldn’t be afraid of. Fear cripples them into mediocrity. Living in fear this way is not living. On the other hand, we can use fear as a tool to chase success. If something scares us that of course isn’t life threatening, it could be used to guide us towards success. Let’s elaborate and unpack this in order to understand the tool of fear and how it can be used to our advantage rather than a crutch.
Money
Money is the biggest fear many people have in society today. Everybody is scared of not having enough of it to pay their bills or support their families, at least in the middle and lower classes. This fear of money makes them into a slave for it by sacrificing their dreams for mediocrity and working a life-sucking job for measly but consistent pay and benefits. Fear of money also causes people to experience less and give up trips and vacations in favor of trying to save money. This is such a flawed way to live for many reasons. Letting fear paralyze you to the point of barely living is worse than the outcome of losing all your money could ever be. Money is replaceable, but your years on this planet aren’t. We can turn this fear around however and just like we preach on this blog to make our money work for us, we can make our fear work for us as well. Fearing the loss of money can be used to fuel our passions to reach financial freedom and greater levels of life. People of all ages seek to be financially secure. Use the fear of being broke to fuel your ideas and take calculated risks to achieve financial freedom. Whether that be investing in stocks, real estate, starting an e-commerce business, or anything you have always dreamed of but have always feared doing due to risk of monetary losses is something you should pursue. Use your current situation and income to finance these endeavors and live a little more frugal for a while on your day-to-day life. You can also try to find creative ways to finance your ideas as well. Make connections, find partners, tell family and friends your ideas and aspirations and something good will come to you. Don’t let the fear of money hold you back from chasing your passions as most people do. Use fear to your advantage and chase those things that have scared you financially instead of letting them hold you back. Realize that the real fear you should have when it comes to money is being caught up in that rat race and sacrificing all your time for the “security” of a paycheck.
failure
Failure and rejection which go hand-in-hand are two more plaguing fears of society. So many people take little to no risk at all in their lives because of their fear of failure, and this in turn impacts their overall lives in a negative way. This again is another example of how living in fear can cripple us. Failure is not something that we should fear, it is a learning experience people should embrace. Without failure, it is difficult to grow. To counteract the fear component of failure, a mindset shift is needed. Envision the worst-case scenario of failure in a specific circumstance. Is it as really as bad as you initially thought? Is this massive fear really warranted? By taking that leap do you have more to lose or more to gain? My guess is the latter. View failure as an opportunity to grow rather than an excuse to wither away and never try anything new again.
experiences
Experiences, particularly travel is something that is feared by many due to monetary concerns. While I could have lumped this in with the “Money” section, I chose to make a new section dedicated to this for a few reasons. Experiences are what give our lives purpose and meaning. When you are laying on your death bed, you will be thinking about all the amazing things that happened in your life, not how much money you have, what your job was, or anything else that really doesn’t matter. Fear of trips due to high expenses is just silly. There are ways to travel and see things for cheap. Vacation doesn’t always have to be five-star hotels in the Bahamas. Travel should be wholesome and present unique experiences and opportunities to step outside of your comfort zone, and make bonds with people that will last a lifetime. Do not save those vacation days. Life is too short to live in the fear of spending too much money on experiences. I am certainly not saying to spend every cent you have. What I am saying however is to go out and experience things in a way that is accessible to you and your budget. Ask the question “How can I go there?” rather than the statement “I can’t go there.”. There is always a way. Don’t let this amazing opportunity in life be one of fear and stress.
regrets
Ultimately, living in fear will lead to lots of regret down the road. Whether it is something you know you should’ve done looking back, or a passion you didn’t follow due to your fear of failure, these emotions will find you in the end. Although I am only twenty years old as I am writing this and have no regrets to speak of, I can tell you from experience of talking to people at the end of their lives that these are very real possibilities IF you let fear control your life. Have no regrets, use fear as a tool, and live fearlessly! This is the way to live the fullest life you possibly can!