Whether business or life, or both, we’re all pretty much controlled by fear. Our fears can motivate us to do great things by stepping out of our comfort zone. Such as what’s experienced by many who fear failure. That same fear of failure can cause us to freeze up and do nothing, too.
Other fears, such as the worry of death that grips so many who fear the unknown, such as walking through a dark park at nighttime, can protect us. It can either save our life, or prevent us from pursuing things we really want to do. For instance, skydiving or similar dangerous activities.
For the most part, there are 3 main fears controlling our life at any given time:
- Fears of failure
- Fears of the unknown
- Fears of judgement (which often leads to embarrassment).
Fear of failure
Fear of failure intertwines with the other two main types of fear in most cases. After all, fear of the unknown is often associated with fear of failure. Failure is often an embarrassment for all of us, regardless if our peers view our failures in that way or not. This is most common when starting a business, or contemplating a big career move.
The only real way to get past fearing failure is to realize that regardless of any other emotions controlling our heads at any given time, regret offers a lifetime of pain. Rather than the temporary fear we might feel about an action we’re contemplating.
1. Fear of the unknown
Fearing the unknown is an emotion that truly sets human beings apart from one another. From fearing going on a first date, to venturing into the world of business and building something without any guarantee you’ll get your time investment back with tangible profits.
Fears related to the unknown can protect us, so long as you’re truly being practical, but it’s a really good idea to get a second opinion when it’s stopping you from doing something that can be life-changing for you or others.
2. Fear of judgement
Nobody likes to be judged. Few among us can walk away from a conversation where we’re we know we’ve been judged unfairly without either feeling extreme anger, or tail-between-the-legs embarrassment. Any kind of judgement is generally negative, and there’s generally a lot on the line when judgement enters the fear equation: loss of business or personal relationships, demotions at work, negative branding for your business, and others.
Even though we all hate to be judged, all the greats from Steve Jobs to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have shirked fear of judgement and paved some pretty impressive paths throughout the course of their lives.
3. Don’t let fear hold you back
As I mentioned earlier, sometimes fear does in fact benefit us. Such as when it protects us from situations we know to be dangerous and we don’t want to risk the consequences. Fear is a motivator, and is particularly effective at making people get out of bed every morning pursuing their dreams for fear of regret.
I didn’t list fear of regret in my list because I really don’t feel too many out there actually fear regret. It’s one of those feelings we get throughout life mostly when we do something we regret at the time. Most of us know how painful regret is, but push that feeling back, allowing the other 3 main fears control our lives.
What’s your greatest fear?
