People who seem fearless and brimming to the top with self-confidence weren’t born that way. They had to train themselves. They worked at it until they became the people whom you see today.
You, too, can become your most fierce self. The first thing you have to remember is that everyone gets nervous, even the bold and the brave.
What makes them different isn’t their inability to feel fear. Rather, it’s their ability to face up to what they’re feeling and push their limits.
As Nelson Mandela so eloquently wrote, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it…The brave man isn’t he who doesn’t feel afraid, but he who conquers fear.”
We’ll show you how to push yourself to have the fearless mindset you’ve always dreamed of. Knowing there’s no shortcut to courage, we rounded up the most effective things you can do to break the cycle of fear.
Here’s how.
1| Accept Your Fears
You’re human, therefore you will feel afraid at times. Fear is basically your body’s way of telling you it’s concerned for your safety. Problems don’t happen because you’re scared; they happen because of what your reaction is to the fear.
When people are afraid, they usually do one of two things. They either bury it with other emotions then take it out in one form or another. Or, they blow it way out of proportion and turn it into the supreme ruler of their lives.
You, on the other hand, should do neither. If you want to have a fearless mindset, you have to accept your fear for what it is: an emotion. You have 27 of them. So, why are you giving this one so much power?
2| Call Out Your Inner Critic
Many times, our dreams of doing something never get a chance to see daylight because of our inner critic. That incessant little voice in our heads keeps us worried about how other people think or say or feel about us.
If you think about it, you’re probably harsher on yourself than anyone else you know. Why? Well, you want to be accepted by your peers, don’t you? So, you filter your thoughts and only speak what will make others like and trust you.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to filter your thoughts. They just appear and you have no way of not hearing them.
Since there’s no way to shut off your thoughts, you have to learn to control them.
How? By consciously turning negative comments into more positive, constructive ones.
For example, let’s say your friends are planning on snowboarding this weekend, you immediately think, “I can’t go with them. I’ve never tried it before.”
This is when you have to consciously take a step back and evaluate what you’re thinking and why. Then, put a positive spin on it by saying to yourself something like, “I can take it slow until I get the hang of it. Maybe it’ll be fun. Plus, it’ll be a great opportunity to learn a new skill.”
The rule of thumb is to never say to yourself that which you wouldn’t say to other people. That can make the process a bit more structured.
Now, just keep practicing. Pretty soon, you’ll have more empathy for yourself and everything you’re going through. Not only that, but you’ll be more confident and much more fearless.
3| Take The Plunge
We mentioned earlier that fear is your body’s way of alerting you that something bad is about to happen. It’s easier to just take a step back and let fear control you.
However, people with a fearless mindset don’t do that. They don’t give any power to their fear. Instead, they listen to it. They acknowledge it. Then, they look for appropriate steps to protect themselves.
So, the first thing you have to do is look for protective measures. If you can’t find any, then you probably won’t go through with it.
But what happens if you do find some? Then, all that’s left is for you to jump.
Take a deep breath, step outside your comfort zone, and take the first step towards a fiercer version of yourself. It will be scary, no doubt about it. But once you’re on the other side, you’ll have no regrets. What you will have, however, is a ton of interesting stories to tell.
4| Repeat
As long as there’s breath in you, you’re never going to stop learning and growing as a person. Most of this growth will happen outside your comfort zone. So, be prepared.
How do you do that? By practicing each one of the tips we mentioned above. Try one daily, try them all—it’s up to you!
But keep learning, keep growing. And most importantly, keep moving your fierce self forward through life.
Remember, fear is your friend. It’s one emotion out of many others you have every single day. Once you realize that, you can adjust your needs accordingly, and start living.
