By Dr. R. E. Freedman

We’ve all heard the cliches about overcoming fear and reclaiming your life. I’ll bet most who have struggled with anxiety are able to recite verbatim all the well known rules for conquering one’s fear and yet still seem to struggle with it daily.

Is there a concrete reason why this fear still has a way of intruding in their lives? And why are they still living their lives in a guarded, cautious way, avoiding anything that might once again trip those intrusive fears? The answer might just surprise you as it has so many others.

It’s because these individuals still lack the most important instruction for the permanent elimination of fear. One must be willing to go after their fear, seek it out in order to experience it through correctly, rather than avoid it or temporarily medicate it. They must be willing to experience their fear out, to experience it through completely, until it no longer exists. The goal is permanent recovery, not temporary relief. It’s as simple as that.

Understanding is one thing. It is extremely helpful to understand the root of your fear. It gives one some sense of control but partial recovery is not enough. We all know there is a huge difference between knowing and actually experiencing. Once must experience their fears, the right way, the correct way, in order to obliterate them from existence.

Relinquishing Fear

– Experience Your Fear: One must look at their fear head on and experience it without resistance or contraction. One must be willing to give themselves over to their fears in a way that is comfortable and effective. Medications are temporary because one is not effectively changing a behavior. The only effective way past fear is through it, but going through it correctly is essential.

-You are NOT ALONE: Fear follows a set pattern. This means that it is shared by others who are sensitized in the same exact way. Everyone is basically patterned in the same way. This is a plus in more ways than one. It indicates that the pattern that takes you out of fear is also identical for everyone and effective in the same way.

– Act Now-Take the First Step: Stop thinking about doing it. JUST DO IT! Thinking too much only gives one reasons to postpone things. Live in the moment, learn to enjoy spontaneity and jump into life. Get behind the wheel of that car and proceed to your destination. Prove your capabilities to yourself. Every single day CHOOSE to do one thing independently. Take that risk daily and your life becomes your own.

– Take Responsibility: Treat yourself kindly by eating properly and nurturing yourself. Rest is important, as is recreation. It’s your job to maintain your mind and body, keeping it running smoothly and in good condition.

– Lose Previous Assumptions and Beliefs: Drop all stock thoughts and habits of unproductive thinking. Take life as it happens without preconceptions. Experience rather than live with past assumptions. Be young again by living in and experiencing the present moment.

– Release Yourself: Disconnect from the way you have defined yourself in the past. Let go of the unhappy story you define yourself by and substitute it for what is occurring in the moment. Stop listening to that inner voice of gloom and doom. This voice is unproductive habit and nothing more. Don’t become “stuck” in the way you once were or fear you might be. Live by your strength by continuing to prove it. Challenge yourself every day and you will be building emotional strength. It’s undeniable…an emotionally strong person is attractive.

– Turn off Self-Sabotage: It’s time to break the chain of negative self commentary, better known as self-sabotage. This is an unproductive habit the mind often learns which succeeds in ruining any productive strides you may make as it fuels self-doubt and fear. This usually occurs whenever life begins to work in your favor. It’s your responsibility to turn off that habit and do it immediately by:
(1) Acknowledging its existence (2) Deliberately turning it off. There is a simple method to be learned and it is well worth your effort. This little bit of information will enable you to turn your life around in a short period of time.

Fear is merely one’s definition, one’s perspective of those things they have not yet learn to experience though correctly. Everyone has the fortitude to obliterate fear by merely showing up when it is present and experiencing it through.

It’s not as complicated as you might believe. Your thoughts are either your chains or your freedom. You have the choice to accept the correct perspective by telling the truth about it. By doing so, and experiencing the fear all the way through, you obliterate it. You see your fear for what it is and walk right through it. Freedom is on the other side of fear.

Never let a belief system based on fearful thinking bind you to fear. Learn to experience your fear through without holding back. Daily usage of this is exercise for the mind, keeping it fit and strong.

Every day place yourself in the position to use this practice. Challenge yourself and win. Fear will plague you until YOU CHOOSE to face it down and walk right through it, move through the ghost it merely is, and reclaim your own power as you do so. Experience it out, until it is no more.