A lot of us live in constant fear: fear of the unknown, fear of loss, fear of discomfort, fear of being xxx, fear of death, fear of life, fear of speaking, fear of knowing, fear of doing. There are countless sums of fear inhabiting this world. These fears are in us, and we give them a home to dwell in and tear apart. Fear is wicked, and it is on a conquest to take all that makes us joyful, content, confident, and positive in life. It only exists to steal, hinder, and destroy. Let us not give sustenance to the fears we have by telling ourselves that it’s okay to remain fearful until it all blows over. Let’s defeat this crippling virus and experience what a life free of fear can be like.
To Conquer Fear, You Must:
- Have courage. It is the opposite of fear. Instead of allowing fear to control your inability to do something, find the courage within yourself (because you have it in you), and give it the power to enable you to see your capabilities. It’s going to be difficult, but take it one day at a time. Slowly, but surely, courage will overtake fear and you will be left a conqueror.
“Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.” – Shauna Niequist
- Eliminate the thought of fear at all. Don’t think about it, you are what you think. Think joy, gratefulness, love and you will become those things above fear.
“The only thing that makes it a part of your life is that you keep thinking about it.” – Unknown
- Know your potential. You have come this far in life with your fears clinging to you, so imagine how much further you can go when you walk in confidence and determination toward your goals. You have been given passions, visions, gifts, and resources for a purpose. Make use of those and watch fear come crumbling down.
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” – Frida Kahlo - Aspire to grow. Even in your current hardship, have the desire to grow and you surely will. Growth is possibly the most difficult pursuit in the face of fear, but you must find a way to keep moving onward instead of staying stagnant. When you get to the other side, it’s going to be worth every second of pain and suffering.
“Which do you want: the pain of staying where you are, or the pain of growth?” – Judith Hanson Lasater - Face your fears. If you’re afraid of heights, bungee jump your fear away. If you’re afraid of the unknown, dare to be adventurous. If you’re afraid of failure, get up and try until you succeed. When you face your fears, you will find that they no longer have as great an impact on you.
“Facing it – always facing it – that’s the way to get through.” – Joseph Conrad
“If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.” – Glennon Doyle Melton
- Express your fears. There is secrecy in fear. Fear says to stay quiet and scared, but the more you talk about your fears with other people, the less they will hinder you.
“You must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don’t, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attack of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.” – Yan Martel - Know your worth. A long time ago, there was a man who left his place of majesty to dwell among us humans; and then after giving us all the love he could offer, he was crucified on a cross. His name was Jesus. He loved you to death. Literally. He died for your freedom. And that cost includes freedom from fear. Don’t waste Jesus’ death on fear, friends.
“God did not unleash His wrath on Christ for you to be afraid. Be free.” – Amy Elizabeth - Love your life. Life is a gift. Don’t miss out on life’s treasures by living in fear. Have courage, be bold, fall in love, get married, spread love, learn continuously, overcome, give thanks, chase your passions, be a light, lend your shoulder, travel the world, buy a home, make new friends, discover Jesus, share Jesus, have children, get sick, overcome again, and just keep on living. Live your life in love and freedom, throw fear away and never let it back in.
“I want to infect you with the tremendous excitement of living, because I believe that you have the strength to bear it.” – Tennessee Williams
