HOW TO BE HAPPY KEY #8

Learn to Be Fearless :

Especially in uncertain economic times, it’s not difficult for so many people to allow fear to enter, overcome, and control their lives. We fear losing what we have and, perhaps, losing what we have yet to attain. We have worked hard towards goals and have built a foundation on which to support our goals and dreams but we are unsure of our outcomes. There are certain comforts, such as peace of mind and financial stability, which we acquire through the maturation process of our lives. However, many times we become comfortable because we fear loss. Many people become complacent with their routine, habits, and ways of life because it has worked well enough for them so far in their lives.

When did “well enough” become the best way to make you happy? As we have discussed, we all must be rational and realistic about our goals and dreams in life, as wanting can lead us mad and cause us to go astray. Fear, too, can lead us down this path because it prevents us from acting and leaves us waiting alone with our wants. If we are able to 118 identify and analyze our fears, we’re able to more effectively address how they affect our lives, decisions, and futures.

Write down your fears on a piece of paper, no matter how small or silly you feel they may be. Frankly, if they are on your mind they may not be small or silly fears at all. Many times fears are irrational which means they are very much just “in your head.” If this is indeed true, get them out of your mind by writing them down on a piece of paper. Here you can see your fears and think about each one of them.

Ask yourself, “Why am I afraid of flying?” or “Why do I fear commitment?” The fears are not necessarily the important piece of the puzzle. Rather, the things such fears prevent you from obtaining and enjoying are the larger issues. For example, your dislike of traveling on planes may inhibit you from taking a higher paying position where you must fly once a week. Whereas your fear of commitment in a relationship may cause you to be unhappy because you are alone and truly want a family of your own. In one way or another, both fears are really just a sign that you are afraid of change.

“Moving on,” then, may just be a matter of you accepting and embracing change. A helping hand in this process may be to look into inspiring stories of triumph and success. When you learn about real people who, despite facing greater adversity than your own, succeed and overcome their fears, you may just realize that you too can want and embrace change.