Fighting The Fear Factor

Quote: “Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” – Dorthy Thompson

In today’s business environment, fear is prevalent at every turn. We usually don’t have to listen long before we hear someone expressing the philosophy and dynamics of fear in their business, relationships and over-all view of the future. How does fear impact business today and what can leadership do about it?

First of all, let understand the issue of fear and how it operates. While there certainly are things in life to be afraid of … the concept and practice of fear is a very dangerous issue. The Greek word for fear is “phobia.” Through the years I have counseled people with a host of phobias. I have seen people with a fear of flying, closed spaces, germs and even men with big hands. There certainly is no shortage of phobias in our world today. However, this is not what this article is about.

We are looking at plain down-home fear of the past, present and future as it relates to our lives. Fear is not only a dangerous issue; it is also a defining issue. Fear will keep you from doing what you know in your gut is right. It will keep you from making decisions in a timely manner. It will in short, short-circuit your future.

Fear is always demonstrated on some level of life. We certainly see it in the inability to make decisions, but we also see it in the caliber and quality of decisions that get made. We must understand that fear is not an external threat. It works in people and organizations from the inside-out. Fear can have a life of its own.

So, what is the impact of fear on life?

1. Fear impacts our passions in life. It can cause a debilitating paralysis that does not allow us to love and move forward with the things that bring us the greatest joy.

2. Fear changes our perspective. People who are fearful often do not see life through the lens of reality, only through the portal of fear. Those, whose lives have been impacted by fear, are not able to see the big picture – only fear.

3. Fear ultimately diminishes our performance. When you are paralyzed by the fear of the past, present and future, your performance is always impacted. Our performance is usually a byproduct our passions, our perspective and the choices we make. In a performance-driven world, a loss of performance can be deadly.

Question – How do we counter the dangers of fear and the impact within our lives?

1. If we are to counter the impact of fear in our lives [and the lives of others], we must learn to focus on our foundation, build a framework to move forward and have faith in the decisions and faithfulness of the past. While none of us go through life unscathed, we all have points of reference in our past that when focused, bring us courage.

2. We must choose excellence as our product of choice. What are you expecting in your future? If your expectation is failure or destruction, then that’s probably what you will find. Life has a way of giving us exactly what we are looking for. Why not express your positive vision for the future today? We often find that our positive expressions [verbal, visual, deliberate] of vision diminish fear and strengthen courage in our lives.

3. Apply what you know is right to do! Accept that there are some things that you cannot do anything about. Often times we spend a great deal of time complaining about things that are out of our control. We are usually complaining to people who are just as powerless as we are. In order to move beyond fear to success, you must answer for yourself. You and I cannot do anything about other people. Every person makes choices for themselves. Choose today to apply, accept and answer life with courage not fear.

4. The final insight to counter the fear factor in life today is to resolve not live under that bondage of fear. In order to do this you must refuse to focus on fear and move forward with courage to do what you know is right. We have found that most people know what is right; they just want to minimize the emotions that go with the decision. Someone once said, “Emotions are neither good nor bad … it is what you do with them!” What a great truth! Decide today to refuse to let your emotions keep you from your best in life.

A famous man upon coming to a crossroads in life once said, “No Retreat – No Reserve – No Regrets!” Why not make that your motto for the year ahead and into your future? What do you have to lose, but fear itself?