Overcoming Fear

Overcoming Fear

There are a huge percentage of people who do not fully understand the extent to which fear controls or contributes to our feelings and actions.

I recently read in the Guardian that students are facing the most intense scramble in a decade to get a job. According to the article the number of students applying for each vacancy has rose to 70, and in some industries there are around 205 people going for each job. Students are being told to consider flipping burgers or stacking shelves because leading firms are cutting graduate jobs. As a result it is said that students won't be considered for a job unless they have at least a 2:1 from a leading University.

While these statistics may be true, the story creates limiting and disempowering beliefs around developing a career and earning money when you finish your degree. For example 'I won't find work when I graduate'. If you read articles like this on a regular basis you may lose confidence, feel fed up and fear for your future and you may decide not to bother applying for the job. If someone else held the belief 'there is plenty of work out there for me' who is more likely to take positive action and get the desired results? Its common sense but it is not a common attitude. The truth remains that despite this article and the thousands of other articles written about the negative situation in the economy, there are still people making money and living outstanding lives. They are the people that still move towards their goals with all their heart and will despite the negative statistics that are printed in the media.

If we look specifically at students, what is it that stops people from getting a 2:1, or A's in their A levels? When I was studying, difficulties arose around what was going on outside of school and inside my head as opposed to the lecturer or the content of the course. I ended up spending most of my intellectual and emotional energy trying to decipher what was happening in my intimate relationship, friendships, family relationships, lifestyle and thoughts and emotions. This is the knowledge that we are still not taught at School, College and University. School teaches and gives you information on a particular subject which is valuable in helping you shape your career. It doesn't give you help understanding your thoughts which shape how you feel and how you act. I spent around £15,000 on my degree and I have spent around £10,000 on self development and it is the money that I have spent and continue to spend on finding out who I am and what I want, that has a tremendous and positive impact on the quality of my life.

So, what stops us from moving forward and achieving what we want in life? The answer is simple, fear. You may experience fear as fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing love, fear of the unknown. The good news is if you can identify your fear, and become conscious of what you have previously been unconscious about you can change it. In order to understand our fears we have to understand the meanings that we have given to certain situations in our lives.

Imagine that fear was no longer a factor in your life, what would you do, be, give, accomplish? The difference between someone who lives an ordinary life and someone who lives an extraordinary life is someone who can acknowledge their fears and limitations and create positive focused action.
I've heard people say I should lose weight, I should go travelling, I should go after my dream job. These 'should's' need to become 'must's'. I MUST lose weight, I MUST go travelling, I MUST go after my dream job. What most people don't realize is that it only takes a small adjustment in the way we see things to have a huge impact on our lives.

We all have the ability to see what's really going on in our lives, what's working for us and what's not. However knowledge is only potential power! We all know how to lose weight, but do many of us lose weight and manage to keep it off? For a lot of people the answer is no, and it is not that we don't have the ability to change, it's a matter of finding the skills and techniques to create lasting change.
What's wrong is always available, and so is what's right. It's just a matter of focus.

If you would like the space and support to explore your fears then book onto a 'Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway' workshop today. The next workshop is Saturday 24th March 2012 and spaces are limited. To book your place online please visit www.freespiritcoaching.co.uk. Or contact Lucy directly at lucy@freespiritcoaching.co.uk or telephone +44 (0) 7906971786.