SIX ways to conquer fear.
Published by Aditya Jhunjhunwala,
ONE
Curiosity always gets the better of fear. Seen horror movies? What gets the protagonist to open the that closet, venture into that graveyard, or step down into the attic? It’s what made Christopher Columbus get on to that boat and make that journey. What lies on the other side? I am starting to get curious about what could happen if I decide to start training to run an iron man challenge!
TWO
Imagination is what makes human beings different from the rest of the animal kingdom. We can close our eyes and transport ourselves into a different world. We can see images, movies, sounds, and even feel feelings. We can embrace a different reality. This enables us to engage in ‘possibility thinking’. Yes, its possible that I will fail, but it's also possible that I will succeed like crazy. Currently I’m thinking about possibilities to empower a youth revolution using digital technologies like mobile apps, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
THREE
Worst case scenarios have been the war room tool chest for managers and military generals for ages. If everything goes wrong, if nothing goes my way, what is the worst that can happen. Make a written list of the worst possible outcomes. Now look at them carefully. How bad are they in reality? How long will it take me to bounce back? Are there ways to mitigate their impact. Which ones can be prevented by taking some precautionary steps? Chances are, the tide of fear will soon recede.
FOUR
Stories are the bits and bytes of the human soul. Stories of failure feed the fear, and stories of success take away the fear. The question is, which stories do I choose to remember? Which are the stories in my life where I faced my fear, and came out stronger, more confident and happier? I always choose to make these stories my heroes. They give me confidence. A few years ago I thought I’ll never be able to change my career and to find work I love to do. But I did. I’m capable to take big leaps in my life! Now, ready, steady… GO!
FIVE
People oscillate between two modes. One where courage is higher than fear, and one where fear is more than courage. Who are the people who are surrounding me? What is the overall fear to courage ratio of people in my inner circle? This is going to have the single largest impact on my courage levels. I have made a positive decision to find, engage with, and surround myself with people who have courage! What say, shall we be friends? 😃
SIX
A sense of purpose becomes the rudder when my ship is moving and an anchor when there is a storm. When I know where I want to go, and why I want to go there, it makes all the obstacles seem like mere bumps. Bumps will be there, but I will overcome. As I look back at my life, whenever I have had clarity about ‘Why?’, things have always fallen beautifully into place. I just leave the ‘When?’ to HIM, and do what needs to be done NOW.
