I often prefer not to have to face a problem or difficulty.

Many of us shrink at the first sign of fear in our minds or hearts. We can tend to opt for the flight option in our instinctive fight or flight response. True, it is safer! Besides, what if we fail?

Our flawed thinking is that we can just skip that a failure and move on to a success. In the end the question I like to ask is:

Do I want to stay where I am, or do I want growth and change?

find Oprah’s interview with Hugh Jackman very insightful.

  • Hugh reveals he was a “very fearful kid.”
  • He still has to face fears today, even in his successful career as an actor.
  • His fear? “Not being my best when it mattered,” referring to his role in the 2012 production of “Les Miserables” as Jean Valjean.

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

Joseph Campbell

When tackling something new or big in our lives it is common to have fears and worries about the outcome. In my case starting a new business has been a daunting experience.

Personally I tried to mask the fear by saying “I still need this or that, to be ready”, or “I need to figure out a little more, in order to make the leap.” If I stayed there, I would have been frozen in “analysis paralysis” as the saying goes.

In a conversation with his coach and friend Tony Robbins, Hugh learned that:

You can’t get rid of those nerves, and they appear for a reason. That fear drives you, and without that fear, you would not be here today.

Carl Jung once said “What we resist persists.” It’s simple really, when we struggle with and resist our fears they continue dominate our thoughts lives. We attract more fear and our fears are then guiding our decisions and affecting the results we are getting in our lives.

  • When we learn to accept our fears for the potential good they bring into our lives, and we go on in spite of them, we can use them to climb to greater heights and new achievements.
  • In Hugh’s case, he went on to win a Golden Globe for his performance, and received a nomination for an Academy Award for best actor.
  • Our fears should simply be seen as a signal that maybe we need tune into an aspect of what we are facing a little more.
  • Whatever case may be for you, in the end, you will need to learn to accept the fear for what it is and let be a part of the process of reaching for your best life.
  • We need to find the courage to tackle the challenge and move beyond our fears and into the life of our dreams. These success will then attract more success into our lives, and you can be a super star in your field.

Questions: What fears have you recently faced in your life? What tools have you used to reach past your fears and achieve success?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.