The 7 Deadly Fears – Part 2
Posted on December 8, 2008
Part 2 – Overcoming your Fears
Part 1 of this post highlighted the 7 Deadly Fears that stop us from living our dreams.
If you are under attack by one of these fears, how would you know? How would you know that you are in fear?
Due to the stealthy nature of these fears, you would probably not feel or even sense any physical changes that would indicate the presence of fear. It is only when we are in heightened states of fear that we get the sweaty palms, the beating heart and the physical symptoms of fear. The only way to catch these fears and to detect their lurking is to recognize that you are NOT TAKING ACTION. If you are not taking action in line with your dreams and goals, then you are in FEAR.
NOT TAKING ACTION = FEAR
In fact PROCRASTINATION is just a nice long word for fear!
There is an exercise for fear that thousands of people, who have attended my workshops, now use to step through their fears and into action.
The first step is to become aware that you are in fear. If you have read part 1 of this post, the signs of fear will be more apparent. When you are doing all those trivial little bits and pieces so that you avoid making that important phone call – then you are in fear. When you go to fridge and spend an hour baking a cake and then eating it, so that you don’t have time to write that proposal – then you are fear. If you go out partying with your friends or sit and watch three hours of meaningless television instead of doing the paper work required to form a new company – then you are in fear. Lethargy, distraction, procrastination and busy-ness are all great cover-ups for fear.
Once you are aware that you are not taking action then you go down the list of fears to determine which fear it is that is prevalent and is preventing you from moving forward.
Once you have determined the fear that is creating the inertia (and it may be a combination of two or three of these fears). Then you do the written exercise below
What action am I not taking?
What is the underlying fear(s)?
If I take this action
What is the best thing that can happen?
What is the worst thing that can happen?
You must do this as a written exercise. If you try to do it in your mind instead of writing it all down, the fear inside your head, will try to rationalise and persuade you that the fear is perfectly justifiable. Once you have done it as a written exercise you will notice that the worst thing that can happen is never as bad as the fear that you feel and often the worst thing that can happen is the current status quo.
Do you have any tips for overcoming fear – please share them with us, so that we can all learn from each other and can conquer our fears.
Overcome your fears, get into ACTION and start living your dreams. You know you can do it – jump over your fear and DO IT NOW!
29 comments
To help answering questionarie you can Identify your “back doors” of fear (reasons why you don’t step into action and power):
I cannot do it for my children/ wife/mother…
My colleague/sister… is better at this than myself
It is not right timing, I am too old/young…
I am very busy now, I don’t have the time
This requires team work and I am better on my own
It was meant to be like this
Respekt! Ein wirlich gelungene Seite.
Your site is also very interesting, very calming effect just reading it. Will spend more time with certain areas. Well done and good luck with your work.
best site of its kind
Just dropping in to let you know you have an interesting site. I hope you’ll continue to work on it. Wishing you all the best.
SarahBell ( ) wrote:
I found your website after I have been surfing the internet to be useful
Hi Everyone – thanks for all the comments about the site and Isabel – thanks for the insight on some of the ‘inner voice’ thoughts that go through our mind that are induced by fear.
Wishes and Magic
Donna
P.S. Serendipity!
Just dropping in to let you know you have an interesting site. I hope you’ll continue to work on it. Wishing you all the best.
Logging into this website should be a requirement for anyone knowledgeable on earth these days…
Wow, this is a great web site. I am so glad I found it, thank you. It is funny, I was just talking to my friend about their web site, and they said they like your site too!
I love this site, there is so much information to be found. Thank you.
Double WOW 2 your design!
I have admire your unselfishness in taking the time to make this web site.
I really, truly am glad I found this site. It has answered so many questions for me. I will be back. Thank You
Thanks for a lovely site, I am very impressed
Great site! Best wishes!
Neale Walsch expalins that in life we make all decisions based on either FEAR or LOVE. Since realizing the truth in this it has made decision making a lot easier for me. Think about it……think of any decision you need to make. Ask yourself what is driving you to make that decision….is it LOVE or FEAR. E.G. You decide not to run the marathon because you feel you need to spend time with your family (a decision based on LOVE). You decide not to go to your daughters school play because you’ve got too much work to do (a decision based on FEAR – either you’re genuinely worried you won’t complete your work OR you may even be fearful of seeing your daughter make a fool of herself) Either way the decision is based on FEAR and it would be advisable to make the decision based on LOVE. That way you and your daughter would feel better. By the way FGM I’ve been trying to call your number to enquire about your workshops but it’s continually engaged. Can you help?
I have the fear of not knowing enough.I am buzy starting my own bussiness,but getting opsiticles were I do not know what to do.Does that meen that it is un realistic to start this bussness?If I a am for instance a shoe maker sould I know all about shoes?
Sonika – thanks for asking the question…
There is a wonderful Buddhist saying: ‘To know and not to do, is still yet to know.’ Experience is the only teacher. Remember when you started your first job? You had no idea what to do and yet within a few months you had learnt what was needed and acquired the necessary skills and voila, your job became second nature. When a new trainee came into the office she would be mesmerised by your proficiency and skill and marvel at your brilliance. It wasn’t brilliance, though; you learnt as you went along, you made mistakes and did things well and the knowledge and skills became so ingrained that you didn’t think about them. It is exactly the same on the path of living your dreams and manifesting your intentions: you will learn as you go along.
This fear of not knowing enough is completely irrational, because you will never know enough. You simply need to start and you will learn as you progress on the path of living your dreams. Life is the best teacher and will send you the lessons and skills to get what you want. Trust yourself and trust life to help you jump over this fear and take action.
Thank you fairy godmother. You really are an inspiration to all!
I bought my first book and it was your book.I am stil reading and so far it make sense.I watched the “Secret” so many times and I could not relate to it,because it seem unreal.Something you said in the book that hit me was that I need to be responseble for myself.Made me realise that I was not looking after myself thats why I was unhappy.Thank you for giving us hope and help us be all we want.
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to say that i have been left so inspired just by reading this website… It was God sent . I going to be opening a business from home and i was feeling so negative,kept on procrastinating and thinking of the worse thing : FAILURE.. I have had a business before and it did fail due to circumstances beyond my control and this just made me loose my confidence level. But by some miracle i switched the tv on TODAY..and there was the Fairygodmother !!!..i was hooked for some reason , though at the beginning i did not seem to be interested . Obviously something kept me watching for longer…and i am going to take my interest much futher now. I have always put my dreams aside and made everyone and everybody else more important , and i let people direct and deligate to me about my future,which is so ironical cause i am not a the shy type more of a contolling person , but funny enough i let circumstance and others control my future, and i have never lived my dreams. Thank you for all ur words of wisdom , and i know that your words of wisdom will definetly be feeding my will power and confidence again , even more !!!..God Bless Donna…
Hi FgM well balanced site,as an individual i also have a weaknes fear(my fears are im scared of comiting myself in relationships of being in love) any advise pls thank u
Last night i had listened to Metro FM at 7:30 as i always do. I was so impressed by you. I am positive individual who does not waste time on fulfilling his dreams. Your seven 7 fears are true facts which one should grasp and utilise to have a tremendous future. Congratulations and good luck with your new book.
I also first heard Fairy Godmother on MetroFM but didn’t take You serious (maybe because of the name) but after visiting your site I must say you’ve opened my eyes and inspired me to catch a wake up call. It’s been tough for the past few years, mainly I’m battling financially, deep in debt and still not prioritising paying it come month end instead spending it on useless activities until I don’t have any for bills. Fear is my other greatest weakness, from interviews to debating with friends on general topics but not sure what drives it.
I met Donna on a business trip in Pongola about 2years ago (on her way to Mozambique for a dolphin swimming inspiration workshop) & wow did this random visit with a Fairy Godmother inspire me to tackle my dreams!! Although I’m still with the same company, I have started my own photography & Graphic Design business on the side & what a difference it has made to my outlook on live! I’m living my passion on the side…and hopefully I will someday have enough courage to take it on full time. Thank you so much Donna for your inspiration!! You really make a difference in people’s lives …even if it’s just with a slight touch of your wand on a random trip somewhere in-between nowhere & people’s dreams
Wow – Louise! Thank you SO much for your comment, I really appreciate the aknowledgement! I am SO pleased you hae started your own photgraphy business – yippeeeeeeee!!!! I am waving my wand so that you will soon be out of your corporate job and following your passion and dream full time!
This is great! Reading this just really lifts. Thanks!
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