“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”
While many think of Winston Churchill as providing the famous quote on fear, Franklin Roosevelt actually introduced the concept in his 1933 inaugural address:
- “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Nameless. Unreasoning. Unjustified.
Let’s take them one at a time. Nameless. Some folks are just plain scared. When you ask them “of what?”, they often have difficulty explaining what they are afraid of. The first step to overcoming fear is to define it.
Unreasoning. Once you define the fear, you need to quantify it. How likely is it to happen? What’s the worst possible outcome? Have you taken any steps to mitigate the risks? Basically, what’s your plan to make sure (i) it’s as unlikely as possible to occur and (ii) if it occurs, you’ll be best equipped to handle it.
Unjustified. Fear exerts control. It influences our behaviors. It effects our mindset. If we have addressed the fear (named it) and outlined how we will deal with it (reasoned our action plan), what more can we do? The final step in letting going is to believe that we have done all in our control, if that’s the case, why would we let fear continue to grip us? This last step is the most difficult. While the first two are strictly rational in nature, this third step introduces emotions in to the equation. Most people can overcome the fear by cycling through steps one and two. Some, even after understanding the fear and knowing they have done all they can, are still gripped by the fear. For those, they need to reach out to their friends and family for guidance. Go back through the process with them by your side. Sometimes just having that partner along makes all the difference in the world.
With that in mind:
Have you taken the time to face your fears?
As always, thanks for the time.
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