Crippling fear

Fear generally is an irrational emotion as most of our fears are not based on facts. It cripples our actions and destroys our peace of mind. Unfortunately, we are sometimes bogged down with fears for the major part of our lives. This emotion arises from lack of faith in ourselves, others and God. We wrongly believe that we are just not good enough to perform a certain task or to face a given challenge. Great individuals have faced the challenge of overcoming these fears. They succeeded in overcoming these fears instead of being their slaves. What are some of these fears?

Criticism: “People will criticize” is a self-talk that is a major deterrent to moving forward. Critics will dog our footsteps whatever we do or say. Constructive criticism is a blessing for it could help us to move forward. When I just embarked on writing as a hobby, I sent an article to the then editor of Woman’s Era. It was a descriptive article about my daily commute to work and back. I wrote at length about the sights from the window, the people I met, and so on. My contribution came back with a short note from the editor suggesting that I re-write the piece so as to give some tips to the readers about commuting by train. This was valuable advice coming from an expert and stood me in good stead in the years to come.

Mean, destructive criticism is generally a sign of either jealousy (Self-talk: “She paints better than me”) or a false sense of superiority (Self-talk: “I am the best artist around and look down on these amateurs.”) We are all given talents in varying degrees by a good God for reasons He knows best. All of us cannot be Michelangelo. But all of us can maximize our talents for our benefit and for those around us.

Failure: Failure, it is said, is the stepping stone to success. Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor and businessman, was called the ‘Wizard of Menlow Park’. Menlow Park was the institution he set up for constant technological inventions and improvements on inventions. The electric bulb, for instance, was the result of a number of experiments. It is irrational to be afraid of failing.

Success and fame: Famous musicians and film stars have been known to dread the time when they are no longer in the limelight, when their fans forget them and turn their attention to someone younger. Their constant fear is whether they can manage to maintain the same level of success they had during their younger days. They go through the torture of surgery to lose pounds and resort to botox to artificially retain their youthful looks. Their lives would be so much simpler and happier if they could accept the reality of advancing age.

Read the full article by subscribing to the print magazine or the digital edition.