Of 'Depreciating' Your Fears!

Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will - anonymous quote.

I have a personal connection to this quote. 

You see, I am very fond of traveling. Visiting new places, meeting new people and coming across new cultures and traditions is nothing short of euphoria for me. Living in India, I have often dreamed about visiting any one foreign country, just out of curiosity and wonder.  I am yet to do this! And the thing that has stopped me from pursuing this dream is my fear of flying. I had a terrible experience with a turbulent flight, about four years ago. I haven't stepped inside a plane thereafter. While the prospect of traveling to a foreign country is immensely tempting, the prospect of flying in an airplane is equally daunting and overwhelming! It is sort of a crippling fear that has held me back all these years. 

The purpose of the above personal reflection was to simply show how disabling and crippling fear can be, if we let it overtake our mind. I have always believed that a little bit of fear is necessary in life - the fear of facing consequences that a wrong action can bring, the fear of hurting someone's feelings, the fear for the self which makes one pause before undertaking an overwhelming risk - these kinds of fear are welcome and needed as they keep us rooted to the ground and make us think twice before we act. But some fears are baseless and utterly imaginary, and stop us from enjoying life as it is meant to. 

Here are some tips that I would like to share for overcoming fear (and which, I myself am about to implement so that I can fulfill my  dream of traveling abroad!):

One Step At A Time:

Want to take up an activity or a decision that instills fear in you? Take one step at a time. Break the decision/activity to single moments or days or steps, and congratulate yourself for conquering one step at a time. (For me, it will probably come down to deciding the country I want to visit first, then getting my passport sorted, then booking the tickets, and so on! Like I said, one tiny step at a time!)

Be Open About Your Fears And Talk About Them:

Fear, however imaginary it may be, can feel absolutely real to a person. Talking about your fears to your close friends and family, hearing their views and experiences and gaining new insights can broadly widen your mind's horizons and you will view your fears with new angles and points. 

'Depreciate' Your Fears:

I love this tip! With a calm mind, and not when you are agitated or panicked, analyze your fears and check how valid they are. Most of the times, fear is just a generation of our mind. Think over your fear, see whether you can pick out any one point which shows that probably, you have blown it out of proportion, and think about ways in which your fear can be 'depreciated'. By depreciating, I meant to say, strike out the areas where you feel that your fear has probably over-grown, and reduce it to the most valid facts that you can. 

Think In A Larger Context:

There are many people in the world, undergoing the same problems as you are and having the same kind of fears that you possess. When you think about them, you will realise that you are not alone, and that there are many who have overcome their fears through sheer will and determination. You can, too!

Take Life Lightly:

See the brighter and funnier side of life, whenever fear tries to overwhelm you. Find out ways in which you can make fun of your fear and smile over it. I know it is easier said than done, but inducing humour into our minds in the midst of fear can help to bring down our panic. With humour, one gets the feeling that all is not as daunting as they thought. It is humour that is the perfect antidote to fear!

Do not let your fear kill your dreams; overcome it, be victorious and live a magnificent life!