Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower, was afraid of heights. Johnny Depp and Sean Combs are afraid of clowns. Jennifer Aniston, Cher, and Whoopi Goldberg all have a fear of flying. Many of us share a fear of snakes, spiders, and bankruptcy!
Fear can be a healthy emotion. It serves us in a good way by making us aware of danger. Because of fear, we avoid dark allies and teach our children to beware of strangers. It’s healthy fear that reminds us to wash our hands.
Fear is also a toxic emotion. Fear rules over us when we allow personal setbacks, bad news in our communities and negative world events to steal our joy. Eventually, we develop a fear of living.
When you have a fear of living, you only cleave to familiar people and places. You live with unfounded paranoia and distrust. There is little or no joy in your life.
However, when you live free of fear’s control, you experience joy.
If you have become fearful of living, you can break free. Here are 4 steps to help you take back your life. These 4 steps are taken from my earlier post, My Cycle for Healing Toxic Fear.
4 Steps to Lose the Fear and Take Back Your Life
- Own Your Fears – Fear originates from many sources. Certain events in life can embed fears. For example, fear of water could stem from an incident in the water during childhood. Be honest with yourself. When and how did your fear begin?
- Look Upward for Help – You will need help to recover from toxic fear. I encourage you to look to God for help. You should also seek professional help as needed. There are many books and online resources related to coping with fear.
- Give Up Your Fears – To stop living in fear, you must be willing to give it up. Fearfulness may have been your “normal.” But once you make a decision to let it go, the fear will begin to leave.
- Change Your thinking –Negative thinking accompanies fearfulness. I found help with negative thinking through prayer and meditation, counseling, joining a support group, and studying literature on emotional healing.
Finally…
The four steps are just the beginning of your journey to freedom. As you begin to lose the fears, you will discover your purpose in living. You were given one, beautiful, life. Live it with joy and peace.