Feel Fear But Don't Dwell On It
I have found 10 signs fear is holding you back. In my last blog post 10 benefits of going after what you want even when you are afraid, I talked about being persistent. We discussed how fear is normal biological response to something we deem threatening. Fear can either be rational or irrational. We can overthink creating fear and allowing it to hold us back.
What fears are holding you back from living the life you dream of?
Below you will see 10 signs fear is holding you back. Lean into fear and accept it as a part of you. Then find a solution or a way to make fear take a back seat. Is the fear of what if greater? If so, you can manage fear and put your manifestations and intentions in the forefront. I want you to visualize your dream life, write down your goals, and what you need to reach those goals and ultimately your dream life.
Swerve these 10 signs fear is holding you back
- You are striving in vain for an impossible to achieve standard of perfection
- Do you find yourself putting things off looking for the perfect time or to have a certain amount of money to get started? Doing this lets opportunities pass you by. Just start. You may not have the most money or the perfect set-up but just start. Learn as you go.
- You settle for less
- Fear may be holding you back from reaching for greater. Therefore, you settle for less. Do you feel you are deserving of more than the bare minimum?
- You say yes when you mean no
- This is people pleasing at it is finest. You want so bad to make others happy that you jeopardize your own happiness. I have a problem with this too. Constantly wanting the people around me to happy and proud. We can stop this by not letting fear hold back our ability to say no.
- You say no when you mean yes
- Is fear holding you back from taking risks, if so, raise your hand. I will be first to admit I hold back from taking huge risks. If it is outside my comfort zone, I likely will come up with a reason not to do it. We created a universe with a wall and only allow people, places, and things that we are comfortable with (that fits the façade). Taking occasional risks are good for opening opportunities to go after what you want.
- You numb yourself with food, alcohol, technology and/or excessive busyness.
- Heard the saying, ignorance is bliss? When fear is holding you back, you may ignore the problem. Toxic self-sabotaging behavior, which I talk more about here, will take over and convince you that other things are more important. Those other “things” are not helping you to reach your goals.
- You procrastinate-a lot
- Distracting yourself with food, alcohol, technology, or entertainment is also a part of procrastination. People who let fear hold them back put off the very thing they need to be doing to advance.
- You struggle to make decisions
- I know this is what I struggle with, being indecisive. Reason why I am indecisive is because of fear of making the wrong choice. I constantly want things to be perfect and not to make a mistake and have people mad at me. This goes back to childhood growing up in an environment that chastised every mistake. I had to live up to a certain image and still do in my relationship. Thus, fear is holding us back and placing a chokehold on effective decision making.
- You are a control freak
- Fear is holding you back if you feel the need to control every little thing. Losing that control is the scariest thing for you.
- You muzzle yourself
- You do not speak up for what you want or believe. Fear of others judging you or criticizing you will hold you back. It is up to you to get to a point where you do not care what other people think or say about you. You are allowed freedom of expression and to be your authentic self, unapologetically. This is a process I am going through as well, so know it will take time and go easy on yourself.
- You feel or get physically sick
- These 10 signs of fear holding you back can create physical symptoms of sickness. High blood pressure, high stress levels, depression, anxiety, and nausea can show up. I have had panic attacks, not knowing at the time. Have you had constant headaches or fatigue or an uneasy stomach? It could be due to high stress and being in a constant state of fear.
Photo by Jorge Fakhouri Filho from Pexels
We went through 10 signs fear is holding you back and we have said a lot. It is not all bad though.
How Do We Move Past Fear
- Focus on gratitude. Focus on what you appreciate. Look at your strengths and pull from there to get you through.
- Meditate, pray, or ask for guidance from a higher power or your ancestors. Meditation is a tool used to calm your mind through focusing on intentional breathing. You can even add in positive affirmations to replace the negative chatter. Hopefully, you grabbed them upon subscribing.
- Question your beliefs. Are what you consider scary real or blown up in your mind? Was it a belief you were told as a child? You may have to unlearn previous beliefs and replace with a winning attitude.
- Trust the universe. What is for you will be.
Find your soul tribe. Having a support system behind you can be powerful. We all need someone who believes in us and will tell us despite our fears we can accomplish anything.
Conclusion
10 signs fear is holding you back is the second blog post in the countdown to releasing fear for the new year. We all come up with a variety of new year’s resolutions so why not let releasing fear be one of them. Striving for perfection? Perfection doesn’t exist. Do not settle for less. Mean what you say and say what you mean. If it is a no let it be. Every once in a while, take a risk by saying yes. Avoid procrastination or numbing yourself against the pain. Face it and place it behind you. Make the best decision for you, that will always be good enough. Learn what is within your control and what is not. Speak up for what you believe in. Finally take care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
This article on 16 actions to take to achieve any goal will help with your next 90 day goals.
As always,
Be You Confidently
