Empowering You to Face Your Fear
Has a friend or family member ever said to you, “face your fear?” It sounds so encouraging…kind of pumps you up a bit. It reminds me of Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It.” So matter of fact, full of confidence and boldness. However, facing your fear can also feel intangible. Without the “meat and potatoes” of facing your fear…how do you wrap your brain around this phrase so you can take action? For me, I need a plan…a process that I can follow, otherwise it just becomes a cool thing to say. So, let’s turn our words into action with these 4 practical steps to facing your fear.
1. Admit That You Have a Fear
To begin the process of facing your fear you first have to come clean. Admit to yourself that you have a fear. I highly recommend journaling during this process or downloading the “Free Facing your Fear Worksheet” . This first step will be difficult. Admitting you have fear is humbling and vulnerable. However, be encouraged you will experience immediate relief like a weight coming off your shoulders. It is freeing to bring something that is in the darkness and put it out in the light…your fear will begin to lose its power over you.
2. List Your Fears…I Am Afraid Of….
Next, list all the reasons you are afraid. After you have compiled your list…dig deeper. Most likely the reasons that came quickly to your mind are surface reasons and they provide the perfect excuse to avoid the deeper thing you are afraid of.
For example, I recently quit my 12-year career to homeschool my daughter and pursue writing. It took several years to face my fears about leaving my job. I was afraid of living on a single income and causing my family to go into financial ruin. I also feared timing and kept saying, “the timing isn’t right.” But these were just excuses that kept me very busy avoiding the real reason. As I dug deeper, my true fears were…Who am I without my job? How do I define myself and my significance? Without a paycheck do I still have value? Ouch…seriously deep questions that I feared answering.
Facing your fear won’t be easy. You must dig deep to understand what holds you back. If you want to face your fear, you have to know what it is first.
3. What is the Worst Outcome that Could Happen?
Now that you have admitted your fear and the reasons why, let’s move on to considering the worst-case scenario. Jot down all the things that could go wrong until you get to the absolute worst situation. Then ask yourself, “If I face my fear and this ‘worst case scenario’ happens…can I live with it?” If you can say yes, congratulations you have just had a fear breakthrough! For me, my worst case was having to go back to my corporate job, and I decided the opportunity to soar was worth the risk.
4. How Will You Feel in 10 Years if you Never Face this Fear?
The last step is to consider your future life if you never face this fear. How will you feel about yourself and your life in 10 years? Will you have regrets? Take note of your response and listen closely to yourself. Your heart will speak loudly here. God has put a plan and purpose in the hearts of all His children, and for me, ultimately, I couldn’t ignore this. The thought of my journey ending here on earth and having never faced my fear just ached my heart. How about you?
Congratulations You are on Your Way to Facing your Fear!
No easy task. But I believe in you, and I believe you can break free from the fear that holds you back. How do I know…because I battle with fear and I am breaking free. Also, because like me, you need a process…something tangible that you can sink your teeth into. “Facing Your Fear” is no longer a cool thing to say…it is a practical plan you can carry out. Please feel free to download the Facing Your Fear Worksheet and begin breaking free from your fear today.
TrinityApril 24, 2017 5:17 am
Great article JJ! I think for me, question #4 was a good reality check. Will I have regret or be proud of myself in 10 years….great question to ponder!! Thanks for your great insights! You are living your dream!!
KatieApril 24, 2017 2:59 pm
I love these practical steps on facing our fears! We all have them. This is helpful to know how to go about breaking them down so we can break through them. Thanks for posting!
JJApril 25, 2017 4:53 pm
I totally agree. That questions puts it all in perspective. Thanks so much!!
JJApril 25, 2017 4:55 pm
Thanks Katie! Yes fear is part of the human condition but the good news is we can work on it!
JenJune 23, 2019 12:52 am
It’s so great that you have brought awareness to this as well as an application. I have to work on my fears everyday. I don’t have the ability to wish them away.
If I have a fear, I write it down, then I ask myself why I have the fear (what’s the origin?). For me, it helps me to list the ways I’ve tried to mange the fear. People please and not being authentic, wanting to manipulate, over eat,over exercise, and a million other ways.
The bottom line is, as I review my list, did anything work? Of course it didn’t or I wouldn’t still have the fear. I pray, I ask God to remove my feAr and to direct my attention to who you’d have me be (notice I didn’t say “do”.
I ask God what specifically he wants me to be.
Usually it’s to be honest,open,authentic,faithful. And then I feel back in track. The problem wasn’t the situation, the problem is my flawed thinking. I have to do this everyday as fears come up. I wish I didn’t have to do it but if I don’t I’m irritable,restless,discontent. I’m blocked from being truly present.
I love your story about your job because I’ve witnessed your fear. It was a big one too!
All applications to be free from fear are amazing. As a flawed human, I’ll take as many applications as I can get.
Your posts are always so powerful and you bravely address this topic all the time.
Good stuff!
Jen
JJJune 25, 2019 3:23 pm
Awe…I love your vulnerability in response to this post and always. Thank you for sharing your struggles too. Fear will never completely fade until we reach heaven. For now, we daily go to God for strength to confront it and practical application that helps. God is good to us even in our weakness…it is then that He makes us stronger.
JJAugust 23, 2019 11:38 pm
We are like two peas in a pod! I constantly have to work on my fear and doubt. It doesn’t come easy, but God is patient with me.