“Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for you are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4
There are times when we fear.Sometimes, fear serves as a warning.We realize that we need to take action, because there is danger.Fear, on the other hand, can be unfounded and a hindrance to our success.When we fear it is important to make sure the fear is based in reality.If it is unrealistic or hindering us from success, we need to figure out why we are experiencing fear.
A common fear that hinders is stage fright.Stage fright is when we are scared to perform in public, make a speech, or perform a task with other people watching us.Many musicians experience stage fright.There are musicians that actually throw up before each performance.After they throw up, they go on and perform amazing concerts.
Another type of fear is the fear of failure.This means we fear trying anything new, because we may fail.Of course, we probably will fail at first, because it is something new and we have to practice until we learn the task.The process of trying and failing is important to our success.If we miss this process, we don’t learn what is needed to succeed.
There are ways we can deal with fear and pursue success.We need to know our purpose, be afraid and take action anyway, use our imagination, and live adventurously.If we focus on these four steps, we can actually use fear to reach our goals.
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born new] that we may do good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].Ephesians 2:10
It is essential to know our purpose.Our purpose serves as hope for something better.In addition, it is a focal point, so we can keep our eyes focused on our ultimate goal.Our purpose becomes a guide to get us through any situation.
When we go through fearful times, concentrating on our purpose gives us a reason to carry on.We can see ourselves fulfilling our purpose, so we don’t want to give up.If we give up, we will never see our true potential.There is one way we can prepare for a time of fear.When we face fear, we realize all the reasons we have to complete our goals and fulfill our purpose.
One way to find our purpose is to find a quite place, so we are not interrupted.We need to sit down on a comfortable chair or sit on a pillow on the floor.As soon as we get comfortable, we need to close our eyes, and ask ourselves what our lives would like if we were successful.The images we see in our minds are probably our purpose.
Another way to find our purpose is by again sitting in a quiet and comfortable place, so we are not disturbed.This time have a piece of paper and pencil in hand.As we close our eyes, we need to think about what makes us happy.Next, we need to start writing down everything that comes to mind.Anything we write down, makes us giddy, and brings us the highest level of joy is our main purpose in life
Once we find our purpose, it is time to pursue that purpose passionately.As we work toward our purpose, our mind is distracted by working on our purpose and not focused on fear.Fear is a distraction and clouds our thinking.Once we bring fear under control, ideas and opportunities become clearer.
Next, one of the most important steps is to be afraid and act anyway.If we are back stage waiting to sing in front of a big audience, we may get nervous and start to back out of the performance.Something else we tend to do is say no to opportunities, because we are scared of the feeling of fear.Either way, we end up giving in to fear and not succeeding.This can cause depression and feelings of worthlessness.The more we face our fear the less fear we experience.
When I was a teenager, I desperately wanted to sing solos.Every time I tried out for a solo in my choir, I got extremely nervous.My voice would shake, my body would tremble, and I’d forget the words of the song.In my high school days, I only sang one solo.It was disappointing and humiliating.
This all changed when I entered college.Brenton and I were engaged, and I was attending USC.Every week, we stood up in front of our peers and sang the song we worked on that week.The same thing happened the first time I sang, but, as the semester went on, my fear was less and less debilitating.
Finally, when the recital came, and I was required to sing a solo in front of my peers, friends, family, and staff, I faced my fear and sang my heart out.Sure, I was scared, but I did an amazing job and gained tons of confidence that day.Ever since that night, I have performed many times with a group and sang duets and solos, and I get less and less nervous every time I sing.
Now, I use this principle with every area of my life.For example, when I started blogging, I was fearful of everyone’s response to my writing.Each time I post a new blog, I am less fearful than the time before.This is liberating to me, because, now, fear doesn’t control me and dictate my success.From now on, I want to jump in and start working on fulfilling my desires.
“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation- whom shall I fear or dread?The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
God gave us imaginations, so we can see what has not happened, yet.When circumstances are negative, we use our imaginations to see something better.This keeps us focused and striving for better circumstances.Before the world was created, God imagined a world of people who were created in His image.If we are created in His image, that means we can imagine into our lives what we need to succeed.Many may see this as silly, but, as I’ve realized, we always use our imagination.Most the time, our imaginations think on nonsense or negative issues, so we have to concentrate on using our imaginations productively.
When my daughter, Snow, was little, every day she would play a different person.People couldn’t wait to hear about her newest character.All of her characters were intriguing, and she never imagined anything that left her or her characters hurt or in need of anything.One time she created a character out of a fly, which went on for years.Even now, we talk about squishy the fly, because every fly that flew into the room was squishy the pet fly.Our imaginations should be as real and positive as Snow’s, but it takes thought and determination.If we determine to use our thoughts for positive success, we can have the life we dream of and much, much more.
How does this relate to fear?When we are attempting to speak in front of people or sing a solo at church, we can close our eye and imagine a successful speech or a performance that will touch the heart of God and the people in the congregation.As we go in to take a test, like for a certification or college class, we can see ourselves taking the test, answering all the questions, and getting a high score.This is not difficult, but some people think it is too ridiculous and don’t see the success in their mind, first.
As soon as we see success in our mind, we can execute the success in the real world.If you think this is bogus, try it and see if it works.Since I was a young child, like Snow, I had a vivid imagination.The only reason I ever got trouble in school was for day dreaming.It was fun to pretend I was a spy by riding my bike around the neighborhood in search for a mission.During this time, fear was not a part of my play. My problem was that I became negative and very fearful in high school and couldn’t imagine anything positive.In college, I got interested in psychology classes and human development, which made me realize how important my imagination was to conquering my fear.This year, I have had less moments of fear than I have in the past.
Today, there are still times I fear people and situations, but every day the fear is less.At one time, fear was so bad that I could hardly talk to people without trembling or getting tongue tied.As I experience more and more freedom from fear, I am able to take chances that once lived only in my thoughts.I’ve began to find my purpose and take action, but, first, it had to start in my imagination.
When we live adventurous lives, fear is part of the thrill.When we first get on roller coasters, our heart is pounding and blood racing, because there is fear of what might happen during the ride.Daredevils live for fear, and, once the fear has subsided, they look for something even more dangerous.This doesn’t mean we have to do the most dangerous stunt and get ourselves killed, but it does mean we need to face fears and take chances. Our lives should be adventurous and exciting, but fear can grip us and hold us back from living the life we want.
What I am saying is when we live adventurous lives we are constantly facing and dealing with our fears.As we start to work on things that are even more important to us, we can face the little fear we may experience and do it anyway.Some of us stop our adventurous lives when we become adults.In my opinion there is a correlation between the fear we start experiencing as adults and the childhood adventure we stop living.
Brenton and I have experienced a new sense of adventure this year.We’ve been kayaking and surfing all in the last six months.That may not be a lot to some, but to us it is was thrilling and invigorating.Each time we do something more exciting we lose a little bit more of our fear and start dreaming of new adventures and possibilities.
The same fear that came upon me when I was in the surf tank comes on me when I speak in public.As I get up to speak, I take the same approach to fear by looking at it with excitement and realizing the feeling will go away.At the moment we are about to do something adventurous, whether it is flying in the plane or jumping out of the plane, a rush of adrenaline surges through our body.It is telling us that we are doing something that needs our full attention.We are then fully alert and ready to dive into adventure with both feet.
Fear can be friend or foe.If we let fear rule us, it becomes our enemy.When we use fear to keep us alert and on our toes, we become prepared for any surprises along the way.Life is a journey and can be truly satisfying or unsatisfying.This week’s challenge is to find our purpose, be afraid and take action, use our imaginations, and live adventurously.Most of us don’t succeed, because we have given into fear.As we use fear to achieve our ultimate goals, success will be at our fingertips.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
II Timothy 1:7