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EDITORIAL
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He said these words as a way of comforting a country devastated by a harsh depression. This was part of his inaugural speech for his first term.
The meaning of Roosevelt’s statement was to face your fears and not be paralyzed by them. This was a key element in helping people cope during one of the country’s most desperate times. He later used his fireside chats on the radio to comfort people.
Running towards your fears requires you to step outside your comfort zone. Change is a necessary part but is difficult for many to come to grips with. Hiding from fear can cripple people and usually makes the situation worse by not taking any action. Try to use this fact as a means to handle uncomfortable situations.
When you do approach the situations you fear, you find they are not as bad as first imagined. Further, you often feel a sense of accomplishment when you take on those fears. Another way to manage those fears is to think back to when this happens, i.e., approaching those unwanted situations.
Most people have a fear of speaking in public. Setting yourself up to do just that can be a great start to running towards your fears. If you can get through this, you have the tools needed to get through most anything else that comes your way.
It takes courage to break through and face that which you are afraid of. But, you will often find others who have either gone through what you are going through or are looking to do it. Forming support groups can be a great way to help each member with the situation. The simple act of talking about it can often lead to taking the necessary actions. If you stumble, the group can help you get back on the proverbial horse.
Life is full of challenges that need to be dealt with. Sheltering yourself from facing those challenges only puts them off to deal with later. It’s rare that deferring them will lead to a positive outcome. Confronting them will make you a stronger person and preventing situations from building to a point of being unmanageable. People will also see you as a leader when you step up to the plate and take charge of the situation.