Earlier this week I talked about facing my fear of heights head on when we climbed a fire tower. So…I wouldn’t say that I have completely overcome that fear, but facing it head on is definitely a step in the right direction.
But, what else am I afraid of? What other awesome or fun experience have I missed out on because I have let fear take control of my thought process? It would be such a shame to say that I’ve not done everything I’ve ever wanted or dreamed about, because there was an element of fear holding me back.
And let me tell you…I have dreams…big ones! I want to build my dream homestead with my husband in the middle of the Ozark mountains and live off the grid. And you know what? There are elements of this dream that I am afraid of, like…mountain lions and bears and snakes and other creepy crawlies. I’m human…so sometimes just the unknown is scary…like will it all work? Or what will we do for an income? But I REFUSE to let fear hold me back.
I have dreams of one day hiking the PCT or AT or heck…my biggest and craziest dream is to hike to at LEAST the base camp on Everest. Yep…those are real dreams that I have. And I can probably count off a hundred reason why those dreams will never come true…and fear has a lot to do with them. I’m afraid of heights. I’m afraid I’m too out of shape. I’m somewhat afraid to travel to a distant land! But…I guarantee that if I ever have the opportunity to make any of these dreams a reality…I will NOT let fear hold me back.
So here are TEN Tips for Overcoming Fear!!
- Do something! ANYTHING! Fear feeds on inaction.
- Make a decision. Let go of the belief that you can’t make a choice until you are certain of the outcome. Fear feeds on indecision.
- Imagine the very worst thing that could happen and decide what you’d do if it did happen. Fear feeds on the unknown.
- Imagine the very best thing that could happen and how you’d feel if id did happen. Fear feeds on feelings of unworthiness.
- Say, “Anything is possible,” instead of “This is not possible”. Fear feeds on feelings of impossibility.
- Say “I can” and “Why not?” instead of “I cannot.” Fear feeds on negativity.
- Look for truth instead of hiding from facts. Fear feeds on lies.
- Take in air instead of holding your breath. Fear feeds on suffocation.
- Embrace mistakes instead of pretending that you won’t make any. Fear feeds on perfectionism.
- Take one step today instead of waiting to run a marathon tomorrow. Fear feeds on waiting for the right time.
I’m sure not going to try to tell y’all that I follow these tips to the letter every single time. I am an imperfect sometimes fearful person. But I can tell you from experience that FAITH is the best weapon to conquer fear. Faith in God. Faith in yourself. Faith in your support system.
And maybe with a little bit of luck and a whole lot of faith…I’ll make to Everest one day!
Betting on the Betlyons 
Great write up. So, now that you are all into overcoming the fear…you can start that book and make money to afford living off the grid! I found you in my spam folder, I don’t know how that happened. I’ve probably missed much of your stuff, I was wondering where you were. I can’t wait until you and your spouse move off grid and you start writing about that. I’ve always been into pioneers. Or will you have internet? Lions, bears…I think that is a healthy fear really.
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Thank you!! Yes…I need to get back to writing more! I started a job about a month ago and so now I’m trying to figure out how to juggle everything! We will most likely have internet for use to run a business, unfortunately, but at least everything will be solar!
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