Rise Up and Be Fearless!
“Fear has two meanings: Forget Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise…the choice is yours,” —Zig Ziglar
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE FEARLESS
When you hear the word FEAR, what comes to mind? Do you think of a scary movie? Do you think about a goal you have abandoned because of FEAR? What feelings do you experience when you hear the word FEAR? Fear is a normal reaction that warns our bodies to be careful. Anxiety is a type of fear which deals more with worry and the future, rather than fearing something that is present.
Did your feelings of fear increase during the pandemic or another life-altering situation? Did your feelings of fear increase when you lost your job? I have been laid off twice so I get that! You may be one of the most confident people out there, but when life happens ... fear and anxiety can make an appearance. Fear doesn’t discriminate…it can touch anyone. All of us face various kinds of challenges and obstacles in our lives. No one escapes what we often call “the storms of life.” The good news is that God already knows what is happening around you and will guide you during this time…but you have to let go of the fear. Fear will not let you hear God speak to you because fear will become a distraction. You need to consciously replace fear with HOPE AND FAITH. It is a choice.
Joshua 1:9 AMP “Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
What is your relationship to fear? - Just like other relationships you have, you have one with FEAR. Fear is a normal emotion that signals a potential threat to your physical or emotional safety. Do you know what is driving your fear? It can be a memory, an event, hurt, joy, happiness…you name it. Name what is driving your fear and go in reverse. Ask yourself:
📌What triggers the fear?
📌Who is involved with the fear?
📌Is fear protecting me or hindering me?
📌Where do I place this fear?
Positive thoughts may not always eliminate the fear right away or permanently, so it is important to know WHY you are holding onto the fear. Once you lean into the WHY you can unpack it and create new habits of hope, faith, confidence and peace. You can be set free from the control of fear. Going forward, you can recognize the signs of fear quicker and put it to rest without it keeping you from moving forward.
Every time fear knocks on the door, you have seconds to respond before your mindset embraces and believes it. However, the more you answer challenges and unexpected life moments with hope and faith, the fear will take a backseat. How will you respond? Empower yourself so you are now in control of fear instead of it controlling you.
“Whatever you fear most has no power – it is your fear that has the power.” —Oprah Winfrey
WHAT SIDE OF FEAR ARE YOU ON?
Have you ever had a problem or challenge that felt or looked like a mountain in front of you? We all have. A lot depends on how we see it, right? If we see it as an opportunity, we move forward. If we see it as too difficult or we are not capable to figure it out … we pull back. In those moments, we get to choose what side of FEAR we are on.
➡️FEAR (this is impossible, I did not see that coming, I can’t do this, I am not qualified or prepared…) or FAITH (this is possible, I can do this, I choose to move forward).
➡️What side of FEAR you put your MINDSET on is a game changer. One side wants to protect (FEAR) and hold you back; the other side (FAITH) wants to see you soar!
You get to decide FEAR or FAITH for every moment.
✅Don’t let fear define you or your circumstances
✅FEAR doesn’t care how successful or popular you are…it will always try to find a way in
✅Fear is a nay-sayer (through people, circumstances, or our own thoughts)
✅You control fear so don’t let it control you
✅Faith believes in you, and produces results
✅Faith keeps you moving; not stuck
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
📌Tony Robbins once shared, “Imagine yourself when you are 80 years old, nearing the end of your life. You are sitting in your rocking chair, reflecting on how you lived your life. Now, look back on your life as if you had not achieved the goal you are after at this moment in your life. How has this affected the course of your life? What are your regrets? What do you wish you had made more time for? What do you wish you had tried? Is there sadness and regret?”
Don’t look back on your life and see how FEAR held you back. Instead, use the FEAR today to propel you toward your ultimate goal.
THIS I KNOW…Just as water follows the path of least resistance, so does FEAR.
✨Are you tired of FEAR holding you back from stepping out into unknown territory, figuring out the next chapter of your life, making a move across the United States, taking on a new role in your career, graduating from college, becoming a parent, etc.? Enough is enough!
EMPOWER YOURSELF
✨Use FEAR to empower yourself to move forward and watch results happen. Remember in the movie the "Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy and the others are afraid as they encounter the Wizard? He appears to Dorothy as a giant head with a booming voice, fire....and creating fear. It is not until the dog, Toto pulls back the curtain and exposes the "Wizard" as a con man operating machinery. Once they saw the “real” man with a gentle countenance and quieter voice, the fear went away because they realized what was behind the curtain (FEAR) was not as powerful as they imagined.
✨Today, pull back the curtain on FEAR and see what you will find.
Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.”
