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10 TIPS TO KICK CONFIDENCE BUSTING FEARS

Some surveys and research results suggest that most people would rather die than speak in public. Think about that for a second. Most of us prefer death over speaking in front of a live audience! While it may sound a little irrational, the fact is, it's that kind of fear that limits our potential.

Don't get me wrong, fear has its place, and when it's helping us recognize and respond to dangerous situations and threats, it's a perfectly appropriate response. The kind of fear that isn't appropriate is the type I call Confidence Busting Fear (CBF). We've all experienced a dose of CBF at one time or another - Do you recognize any of the symptoms this type of fear can generate?

Immobilized decision making
Inability to overcome insecurities
Inability to let go of old habits or ways of thinking
Terror and unwillingness to venture out into the world
Stuck in old ways of acting and believing
The roadblock to our change and growth

If you are ready to kick those CBF's to the curb, here are my Top Ten tips:

1. Stop or "turn off'' obsessing thoughts about your fears - realize that fear is part of the human condition. Give yourself permission to be OK with fear from time to time.

2. Examining our fears can tell us a great deal about ourselves and our past, as fears and phobias are learned, not instinctive

3. When you feel fearful, relax physically - take deep breaths, allowing all tension to drain out of your body. Now identify the fear, label it, visualize it, and deal with it as if it were an object or entity that you can remold, change, or alter.

4. Being able to identify a fear goes a long way to overcoming it. Make an honest assessment of your fear and its impact on your life. Now you are ready to create a consistent, systematic plan of action to overcome it.

5. Be persistent in your efforts but also recognize that it could take a long time to eliminate some fears

6. BE PREPARED for the discomfort you may feel as you deal with your fears.

7. Know that you've got what it takes to deal with your fears.

8. Be more aware of the events, or people that trigger your fears and avoid them.

9. Permit yourself to be vulnerable to change and growth.

10. Don't be discouraged when you experience the occasional relapse. Remember Tip #1 - Fear is part of the human condition.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

"Until today you may have thought feeling fearful was a permanent condition. Just for today, feel the fear then do it anyway."

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow”

– Dan Rather