I feel I can do more with my life! How can I unleash my potential despite my fears?

Mahatma Gandhi, world-renowned civil rights activist, and Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world. Both recognizable public figures and successful in their own field, yet when they were younger, they had something in common. Both had a fear of public speaking. 

Warren Buffet’s fear of talking in front of a group of people was said to be so bad that he enrolled himself in a public speaking course, but did not turn up to classes! He did go once he enrolled for the second time, and with years of practice, he increased his confidence. Now, he speaks,  teaches and inspires in his public speaking engagements. 

One time, while giving a speech at a London restaurant, Mahatma Gandhi was said to have panicked after delivering the first line that he needed another person to continue on his behalf.  But then, Mahatma Gandhi was able to inspire millions of people to make non-violent protests through his speeches and actions.  

It would seem that fear is a common human experience, but one that when conquered, can create amazing transformations! 

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

Can we just wait until our fear disappears before we do something? It would seem that avoiding fear or waiting till we are no longer fearful will not lead us to realizing our potentials, talents and dreams. 

• Many times we fear taking risks, but rewards are for those who take the risk and work hard. If you ask successful people, they might tell you that fear was their ever present companion, more so while deciding whether to take a leap into the unknown. They are not completely sure that what they will do will work, but their risk-taking despite their fear is often tied with their ability to work hard and really commit to their decision for a long time! They see taking risks as part of the formula to success. 

1. We may fear the possibility of failure, but in order to reach a great performance, we have to go through some levels of failure. In all skills, we start as a novice, then we become comfortable with it. Next, we acquire the skills, and do so much better. Lastly, if we further practice the perfect way to do it, we become experts. 

1. We fear competition, but those who see that there will always be others who can do some things better than we can and use it to further improve are bound to level up and innovate. We can use the success of others to inspire us to do better. We can use their strong points as our benchmark. We grow our creativity as we engage in healthy competition. For many examples of big companies who ignored innovation and competition, they learned a hard lesson. Their inability to change led to disruption.

1. We fear becoming agents of change, but those who can respond quickly to change also lead in success. When we see the beginnings of changes in our society, we can choose to look for opportunities to grow along with these changes early on, or we can wait until we are forced to change. 

The ability to identify our fears, cope with them, and respond well will take a lot of our energy. So being able to take good care of our well-being is a priority if we want to overcome fear and realize our potential.

• Examine the evidence. Are our fears real or do they just appear real? 

Fear can cause our mind to make up false stories. These stories can become so convincing that when unchecked, they can hold us back from action. 

• Am I overthinking? 
• What conclusions have I made about the situation? 
• Are these conclusions based on facts or on assumptions (statements we accept with no proof) ? 

• Recognize the things you are not doing because of fear. 

If you ask yourself what things you are holding back from doing because of fear, you might see the things that are between you and your desired future. Our fear makes us unwilling to try new things, that is why we may feel we are “in a rut” or “stuck”, either in our personal life or our professional life. 

• What small step can I take to start doing what I fear? 
• What can I do to make it less scary? 
• Who can I talk to for support? 

• Connect yourself to the bigger picture. 

Those who conquer their fear are often those who found a strong connection between their vision or life purpose and the actions needed to fulfill them. Rather than focusing on performing perfectly, look at the big picture. 

• Where do I want to be 3 years, 5 years and 10 years from now? 
• What are the steps that can take me to my desired future? 

Being courageous enough to take the necessary steps for your own growth means not eliminating your fears completely, but it means not allowing fear to block and limit you from taking steps forward. 

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