When Fear is Stopping You From Pursuing your Dreams. Your mind has been conditioned to believe that you aren’t good enough, that your dreams are just that- just dreams. Your mind will tell you to fear what your heart yearns for the most. It is this fear that will keep you from realizing your dreams.
You don’t have to worry though, because it is never too late to begin on the journey to your dreams.
Wondering what to do When Fear is Stopping You From Pursuing your Dreams?
Read and practice these:
Clearly Define Your Dreams
Try to set some time aside for yourself, 30-45 minutes should be enough.
Write what comes to your mind or what has always been there but you have been ignoring or have been too afraid to put into words.
Whatever your dream, your goal, your desire is, write it down.
Make sure you spend enough time on this step and put this list where it is visible to you everytime.
Visualize Your Dreams
This seems pretty self-explanatory, but is it really? This will not be a waste of time, but one of the most important things you can do in obtaining and reaching your goals and dreams (thus second on this list).
This practice (ultimately a habit) is simple but profound and here is what you need to do.
The dream that you wish for the most, think of it now, close your eyes and put yourself in that dream.
Physically place yourself there. Smell the smells around you, feel the sun, the breeze. See every detail from the people around you, the flowers, the beach, the streets, the animals.
Hear the sounds, the waves crashing, the trees blowing in the breeze, the birds chirping, the music playing, the rain falling.
Whatever your dream, totally immerse yourself in your scenario.
Completely lose yourself, take 5 minutes and try it now…….
The feelings and emotions you will receive from this habit will propel you to take action, and action will make these dreams a reality.
Allow Yourself to Feel the Fear
This is where we bring in mindfulness — when you’re feeling fear, instead of turning away from it or trying to escape/avoid it … try turning towards it. Actually allow yourself to feel the fear. We don’t often want to feel it, but we have a greater capacity to feel fear than we give ourselves credit for.
Try it: notice how the fear feels in your body. Not your story about it, but the actual physical sensations of the fear in your body. Allow yourself to stay with it, to be with it, to tell yourself that it’s OK. Be friendly towards yourself and the feeling of fear, gentle, curious, open.
You will transform your relationship with it, even if it doesn’t go away. In fact, you’ll start to realize that you don’t need to get rid of the fear, you don’t need to do anything about it. It’s not a problem, it’s just a feeling, just an experience, just a part of the meaningful work you want to do.
Take Action – Don’t Procrastinate
“I have lots of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.” ~ Oprah Winfrey.
Without action, nothing is possible. Sure, there is a chance and chance does happen on occasion, but do you really want to leave your life and your dreams to chance?
The number one action you can take right this second is to stop procrastinating. You have to stop putting off till tomorrow what you want done today.
You can never get yesterday, that moment, back again. The actions do not have to be big actions. They can be as simple as writing one sentence, one word or as grandiose as selling all your belongings and traveling the world.
The complexity of the action is not what matters; it is the action itself that matters. Action propels, it motivates, it stimulates, and it moves you one step closer to your goals and dreams.
Be Consistent – Be Diligent
It is often said that just about the time someone gives up on their dreams or goals is just the moment those goals and dreams were going to become reality.
Successful athletes don’t train for one day and become the best in their field.
Most times these athletes have been practicing, training and honing their craft for years, often times, most of their lives.
They are successful because they are consistent and diligent with the same daily activities day in and day out.
So, whatever your means of “getting there,” they have to be done on a daily basis with the same consistency and the same diligence in order for them to become reality.
It will not happen overnight, anything worth obtaining or doing rarely does.
It could take years, but the key here is to never give up; giving up should never be an option.
Remember why you started this journey in the first place and you will see your attitude and spirit change, and you will be revitalized.
Be Flexible
There are many, many ways of getting to where you want to go or where you want to be.
You may find that a certain set of actions that you have grown accustomed to doing daily suddenly do not seem to be working or they do not seem to “feel” right any longer.
There is no set in stone rules that you have to abide by or follow to be successful.
If you see that something is not working any longer take some time to reevaluate what you could do to change it.
Think about it from all angles, all views. Take some time to readjust your plan.
It is a necessity to be flexible and something that you will not be able to avoid if you want to be successful in obtaining your dreams.
Open up to Joy
You can practice opening up. What is practicing opening like? Imagine that you have to do the hard work to get your meaningful project started.
When Fear is Stopping You From Pursuing your Dreams. When you feel the fear and resistance, stay present with it, but open to the action of the task in front of you.
You become fully present with the task, opening your mind and heart to it. Then start to fully appreciate the beauty and joy of the task, opening yourself to this incredible experience, which might include discomfort, uncertainty, fear and resistance. All of it.
It’s all mixed in with the joy and gratitude you feel for being here, now, with this task. Doing it for people you care about. It’s fantastic, and you have the privilege of being able to do it.
In Conclusion
Without even realizing, you are right now squashing that fear you have in following your dreams.
While you have been reading this, you have had no fear. Think about it…. You were built to follow and build your dreams. You are more than capable, now take action.