Insights
I read somewhere that famous United States General George Patton once told a soldier on the eve of a battle that “Fear kills more people than death. Death kills us but once, and we usually don’t even know it. But fear kills us over and over again, subtly at times and brutally at others. But if we keep trying to avoid our fears, the fear will chase us down like persistent dogs, so go in there and get the job done.”
I could imagine the mindstate of that soldier, on the eve of possibly his last day, and yet having the general talk to you directly with utmost assurance. It’s either do or die. If that didn’t fire him up, then nothing else would have.
So the question is “What is it that we fear?
Is it the fear of success, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, who knows? Or rather, do we know and just are afraid to admit?
The worst thing we can do is close our eyes and pretend our fears don’t exist. Fear is a motivating force. It can compel you to avoid living your potential and suffer a life of “Only if I had…” You know it well, “If only I had bought that house,” or “ Only if I had regularly put away 10% of my income, I woulda have been rich,” etc.
Fear can lead to a constant, unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do; this ultimately becomes the single largest consumer of time and energy. It is a waste of time and energy to think about something you make no progress on continually. And it only adds to your anxieties about what you should be doing and aren't, thereby increasing the fear itself.
So what do you do:
Take action!
Gandhi once said — “You must be the change you wish to see.”
If you want to be a writer, start writing.
You want to start a business; you can’t do it from your comfort zone, get moving on research, make some calls, take the next small steps and make it happen.
You want to lose weight — start exercising immediately, not after you've purchased the membership, gym gear, and workout plan. Start where you stand, literally (for example: 15 squats, 25 push-ups).
You want to learn a new language? Start now.
Gandhi also said to;
“Learn as if you will live forever, Live as you will die tomorrow.”
In a nutshell, the key to eliminating anything you fear is to do something action-oriented about it — even if that action is changing your mindset.
Nothing will be perfect, but you gotta try.
Watched
Strategy
Choose the Right Books
Begin by selecting self-help books that closely align with your current needs or challenges. A book relevant to your life’s context will naturally engage you more and feel applicable.
The first book that started my self-help journey was “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. This book inspired me to pursue a path to wealth and read the other books that follow. Rich Dad was the right book for me because, at the time, I was looking for any change, and the ease of his writing resonated with me on a level I was accustomed to.
I have since developed a taste for more challenging books, but if I had started with them, they wouldn't have had the same impact on my subconscious as Kiyosaki's book did.
Find the book that is right for you.
Reading reviews, checking ratings, and asking for recommendations can help you find books that have successfully helped others with similar issues.
Question
What does your life look like on the other side of fear?