While fear, when appropriate, is a positive response programmed into us by our Creator as a legitimate protective force, it is also, without doubt, and when not controlled, one of the leading causes of non-achievement.

After all, if we cannot take the action necessary to achieve then, by the very nature of the specific inaction, we must fail.

Much has been written on the concept of fear. Quotes on this topic abound. Sir Edmund Burke wrote, “No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” Madame Marie Curie admonished that “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.” And, according to Napoleon Bonaparte, “He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.”

Susan Jeffers wrote an excellent book on this subject which I read many years ago and found extremely valuable, entitled, “Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway” (www.amazon.com)

My Dad, approaching this concept from the opposite end of the spectrum, “Bravery” asks, “Who is a brave person?” and answers, “That person who can be afraid… and still do their job.”

In other words, having the fear is not the issue. It’s often very appropriate. The question is, “Can we have fear, can we be afraid, yet still take the action necessary to do what needs to be done?”

There is an acronym you’ve probably heard or read before. It goes, “F.E.A.R. (False Expectations Appearing Real).” I like that, and it’s often true. After all, most of what we fear will never come to pass. To make matters worse, when we fear something that never actually transpires we have, in essence, “paid interest on a bill that never came due.” (I didn’t invent that last quote but don’t know to whom it should be credited.)

On the other hand, “Fear” can also be the expectation of something difficult that is actually ‘quite real.’

When I was younger I participated in amateur boxing. A few years into it I’d often be asked, “Bob, do you still get nervous before every fight?”

“No” I’d reply, “I still get TERRIFIED before every fight.”

I think that feeling of fear was legitimate because, after all, if I didn’t have enough fear to cause myself to duck, I’d get clobbered.

I remember several years ago sharing the platform with the great humorist and speaker Andy Andrews - http://www.andyandrews.com, author of “The Traveler’s Gift” as well as his lovely wife, Polly.

Polly shared the story of their dog who had to cross a bridge and was nearly paralyzed with fear at the prospect of doing so. Finally, the dog crossed, never “overcoming” his fear, but simply “getting past it.”

Yes, sometimes we are afraid, and we still need to take the action. This is so whether giving a presentation, rescuing a cat from a tree, approaching an intimidating person with a “Winning Without Intimidation” solution, and much more. We are afraid, and nothing we can say or do will drive away our fear. Yet, we must take the necessary action anyway.

In this case, overcoming the fear is not important, because it’s not going to happen. The only important thing is “getting past” the fear; doing what need be done, despite the fear.

In this case, we can take the pressure off of ourselves with the simple realization that, “since we’re not going to
overcome the fear” we might as well take action anyway. In other words, again, just “get past it.” Do it anyway.

Of course, other times we are in a position where we can overcome fear. In those cases, that’s exactly what we should do. And, how do we do that?

Dale Carnegie, in his book, “How to Stop Worrying & Start Living” (www.amazon.com), provides a three-step method to dealing with and overcoming specific fears. This is one of the greatest methods I’ve ever read and personally experienced. Very briefly, it was (and please excuse the slight paraphrasing):

Step #1 Analyze the situation fearlessly and honestly and determine what is the worst that can possibly happen as a result of the failure. (You’ll probably realize that things could actually be so much worse and that, relatively speaking, you’ve got it pretty easy.)

Step #2 After determining the worst that could possibly happen, reconciling yourself to accepting it, if necessary. (After doing this second step, you’ll immediately relax and feel a sense of peace.)

Step #3 From that time on, calmly devote your time and energy to trying to improve upon the worst which you have already accepted mentally. (You’ll most likely come out way ahead than what you would have otherwise because now, without the fear, you’ll have the energy necessary to concentrate on the solution instead of the problem.)

So, overcoming fear or simply getting past it; both are positive actions to take and both are worthwhile. Easier
said that done? Absolutely. Is it worth doing? Sure. And, as Dr. David Schwartz wrote in the classis, “The Magic of Thinking Big” (www.amazon.com), “the best way to overcome (his exact word was “cure”) a fear is through action.”

Have an awesome Winning Without Intimidation week!

Bob Burg
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Bob Burg speaks on “Endless Referrals” and “Positive
Persuasion.” He is author of “The Success Formula”, to learn
more about this inspiring book, or grab your copy go to
http://www.getmotivation.com/qk.cgi/success-formula-bb