How To Overcome Fear And Start Living

Fear is a state of mind that can rob you of living a fulfilling life. Often, those who are fearful aren't just afraid of one thing - they are constantly anticipating the worst, trying to "outsmart" life - but it comes at great cost.

There are actually people who believe if they just think the worst, it will never happen because that would be too coincidental. Even in this case, normal living has ceased to exist anymore, replaced by a life whose only goal is to outsmart any bad that can happen.

No one, when reflecting back on their life, wants to have remorse about all they missed out on, when prisoner to a life of fear. These following tips will show you how to overcome fear and start living today, no matter what you are fearful of:

Tip #1 - Live In The Moment

If there is one tip you practice daily, it is to remind yourself everyday that all we have is today, the here and now. Being afraid of what could happen in the future is wasting precious time you could be enjoying right now in the present.

Bad things can and do happen, but such is the path of our lives. Our only job, while on this earth, is to make the most of each day and enjoy what we have. If today were the last day of your life, how would you wish to spend it? Certainly not on fearing what might happen tomorrow.

Tip #2 - Let Go Of Control

Many people who have the need to control everything are plagued by fear. That is because they try to account for every potential negative thing that could happen, in an attempt to avoid any future discomfort.

Remind yourself that you cannot control everything. To not be in constant fear of situations, it is time to let go and let life run its course. Even if you are successful at times by alleviating any risk of potential negative situations, you are wasting your life trying to control it instead of enjoying the beauty in front of you today.

Tip #3 - Have Faith

Faith doesn't have to be organized religion - it can be a belief in nature, the universe or anything bigger than you. Faith that life will deal you what you were meant to be dealt will erode any fear of the unexpected and relieve the burden that you are somehow obligated to avoid any potential discomfort the world might hand you.

Tip #4 - Life Is A School

People who are constantly paralyzed by fear of the unknown are missing out on the opportunity to learn and grow from life's experiences. When you think of life as a school, where you are here to get an education, you won't feel like a constant victim. Even in hardships, you evolve in ways you might never expect. Become a life student, instead of one who is missing out due to irrational fears.

Tip #5 - If Your Fears Came True, Would They Be So Bad?

Sometimes just thinking about "what if my fears did happen" can make you see you are wasting your life over little things. For people who have actual phobias or paralyzing fears of death and catastrophe, therapeutic intervention might be necessary.

For most people, however, their fears are based on avoiding discomfort. They worry about the "what ifs" regarding the smaller things in life. You can actually erase your fears by acknowledging them, but then taking them one step further - pretending they actually happened!

So take time to think about each fear you have and rationalize that it wouldn't be the end of the world. You cannot possibly be perfect all of the time or expect to coast through life without moments of uneasiness, disappointment or small failings at some points. That is all the natural path of living, so don't sweat the smaller things in life.

With these tips above, you will be on the path to overcoming your fears, starting to feel alive once more. Fear robs you of precious time you could be spending laughing and loving those close to you. Let go of the need to control life, for the world is much bigger than you. See the good in the bad, like a student on this earth, here to learn. Relieve yourself of the need to be perfect, to control every outcome. Rationalize that even if your fears came true, they really aren't so bad in the grand scheme of things. Life isn't to be feared, it is to be cherished.