To The Fears I Will Not Let Control Me
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Health and Wellness

To The Fears I Will Not Let Control Me

Never let fear be the decision maker.

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To The Fears I Will Not Let Control Me
Abby Asselin

I'm a huge believer in stepping outside of your comfort zone because if you don't do it, growth is impossible. But as we all know, stepping outside of our comfort zone isn't easy. (It's called the comfort zone for a reason, right?) A lot of times, we will have dreams and aspirations that are so far from where we feel comfortable that it feels utterly pointless to even go through the trouble of following those passions just because of the discomfort alone.

I have always feared failure and judgment. No matter what it is that I have wanted to pursue, I couldn't conquer the little voices in my head telling me that no one would approve of what I was doing or that they would think it's not "normal" or weird. And even worse, I feared looking weird and failing.

Fear is so strong and so powerful. It instills thoughts of inadequacy, discomfort, and doubt into your mind. Once the thoughts are there, it can seem impossible to get rid of them. But I'm here to tell you today: Do not let fear be the decision maker.

Fear usually creeps into our lives when we are trying something new, when we are facing a challenge, or when we are in an uncomfortable situation. The key to overcoming fear is to make it impossible for fear to be the decision maker.

If you have a dream that you have already pursued or are in the process of pursuing or haven't even started pursuing yet, chances are that you have stumbled across fear. I'm going to run through three components of fear and how you can kiss it goodbye to come face to face with that dream of yours.

1. Fear of failure

The fear of failure is probably the most common. Why do we fear failure so much? We are scared of our efforts being useless, and we are scared of admitting that we did not succeed. But who defined useless, and who defined success? Your journey is yours and no one else's for a reason. Your progress is defined by you, not by numbers, or by the people around you. As long as you tried your best, you can say you succeeded, and you can say that it was worth it. One of my favorite verses is John 14:27:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

I love this verse so much because it truly captures the genuine peace that God provides for us. He does not give to us as the world gives. Nothing else in this world can bring us the peace that He can, and we should confide in that peace when confronted with fear.

2. Fear of judgment

The fear of judgment is so dominant because it places all of these thoughts of "what if" into our heads that are not even real. Think about that for a second—we let the mere THOUGHT of someone judging us control our decisions—isn't that absurd? It's natural, especially for my fellow overly analytical people. We fear that people will not like or approve of what we are doing, or maybe we just fear that they think it's not normal or weird. We can't be so scared of people's potential thoughts that we decide against following our dreams because of them. Besides, if they don't support you (unless it's something you really shouldn't be doing for other reasons), then they aren't truly your friend. Psalm 118:6 says:

"The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"

God reminds us of the peace his spirit brings and reminds us that those potential thoughts from our peers are just of the world, not of Him. If you're working for God, the thoughts of someone should not startle you. So tell those voices in your head that are telling you that people won't like what you're doing to back down because God has your back.

3. Fear of change

Change is scary because once something is no longer considered normal, it receives the title of new. And new can be pretty intimidating. Adapting is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Whether it's a new job, a new person, a new lifestyle, a new city, or a new dream, it is completely up to you how you will handle the change. You can approach the change with fear and in turn, make yourself more uncomfortable and more likely to have negative thoughts about the change, or you can attack change with a smile on your face and be ready to make the most of what each new circumstance brings you. When things change, we learn, and we grow. Think about it—we can't approach change the same way we approach normal situations because if we did, how would we deal with the new situations and experience growth? If we succumb to the fear telling us that change is no good, we have become a victim of hindering our own growth. See change as an opportunity. Hebrews 13:8 says:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

How amazing is it to know that even when everything else in our lives might be a whirlwind of change, God remains consistent. His love for us does not change whether we are doing what we've been doing for the past five years or whether we are completely changing everything in our life. His peace does not waver in and out; it is always there to provide us comfort when we are overwhelmed. And best of all, His forgiveness is relentless and saves us whether we screwed up in our routine or whether we took on change the wrong way.

Do not let fear be the decision maker. Let God's persistent peace, presence and consistency comfort you when you are feeling fearful and scared.

If you have a dream, chase it. Don't let the fear of failure, judgment, or change stop you. You don't want to look back years from now and wish you would have pushed fear to the side and followed through with your dreams.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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