Overcoming Fear Through Knowledge and Action…

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email this article to a friend

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you,” (Isaiah 41:13).

The greatest help in life is the help we receive from almighty God. Nevertheless, God expects us to be active and not passive in our walk through life; that includes continuing to gain knowledge and to continue to take appropriate action. That is why I state that Overcoming Fear through knowledge and action is the best way to confront it. There is a saying that I heard many years ago that goes like this: “Work like it all depends on you and trust like it all depends on God.”  This article is all about learning what fear is, and then facing up to it and taking the appropriate action while fully relying on God.

Over the years I have heard the famous quote made by Franklin D Roosevelt in his 1932 inaugural speech, “…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. I have often wondered what exactly Roosevelt meant, that is until I took the time to read it in the full context. Here are FDR’s words, in context, from his 1932 inaugural speech, excerpted from the original speech:

“This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance”.

Keep in mind that this was 1932 and the collapse of the stock market was 1929, so the country was in a time of high uncertainty. It was in the greatest depression of this country’s history before or since. Roosevelt realized that fear itself was the greatest enemy, and it alone could slow the progress into recovery. While FDR had no solution to the problem at the time, he wanted to reassure the people that this is a great nation, and it was strong and determined and that things were going to be all right.

Fear can stifle us, paralyze us and keep us from making wise decisions and taking appropriate action. Only when we are able to overcome fear can we move forward. “The only thing to fear is fear itself” addresses the harm that fear can bring to progress. Irrational fear can cause harmful actions; it can wreck the possibility of recovery from a bad experience. Therefore, I think FDR was telling the people not to let fear rob them of the possibilities of a new tomorrow with hope, success, and prosperity.

There are three things that keep people from overcoming fear:

1.     Not understanding fear

2.     Not discerning the difference between rational and irrational fear

3.     Not taking the appropriate action to overcome fear

Understanding the meaning of fear

Let us begin with a definition of fear: “To be afraid or apprehensive.” By the way, Fear is currently in the top 30% of lookups on Merriam-Webster.com. So apparently, many folks are dealing with it and trying to understand it. The best way to understand fear is to understand why there is fear in the first place. There is nothing wrong in having fear; it only becomes harmful to us when it is misused and misunderstood. Fear is a God given drive. It is one of a bundle of other drives that we have. Some of the most common and misused drives are the fear drive, the anger drive, the sex drive and the hunger drive.

The purpose of the fear drive is for protection. If there were no fear drive at all, it would remove all precaution and create havoc in our lives; it would put us in constant danger of harm. For example, alcohol represses the fear drive and causes someone to take unnecessary chances, like driving at a high rate of speed on dangerous and treacherous roads. This results in them endangering themselves and others of death or great harm. Under the same conditions, a sober mind and a healthy and active fear drive would be warning that an accident was highly possible that could result in death or serious injury. People do not always heed their fear drive when they should, but instead continue to take foolish, unnecessary risks and sometimes pay severely for it.

On the other hand, if I have such a fear of riding in a car that I refuse ever to ride in one because of the danger it could impose, then, I am using the fear drive incorrectly. The proper use of the fear drive is letting it motivate us to exercise safety, to observe the traffic laws, and to drive careful, therefore, making the possibility of an accident far less probable.

If we allow the fear of what could happen, presently or in the near future, dominate our thinking, we will paralyze ourselves for doing that which is in our best interest. For example, if we have such a great fear of flying that we refuse to fly under any conditions, we could paralyze ourselves and miss something needful and rewarding in our lives. Flying can enhance our lives, for instance, a very rewarding job that requires some travel by air, or a trip to a beautiful and exotic place that requires flying. Excessive fear crosses over the line and becomes phobia driven.

Many things cause us to be fearful and worried even things out of our control, or things that are improbable of happening. It is a matter of fact that about 95% of the things, which the average person is fearful of, or worry about, never happen. You may be thinking, well how about the other 5%. Your fear or worry will not keep them from happening. They can  be dealt with.

There is a list of catastrophic things that could happen at any given moment, but are improbable to happen at all, at least in our lifetime. For example, there is a huge volcano beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park that could blow at any time. If it did, it would wipe out two thirds of the United States. Should the fear of that happening cause me to live only on the East Coast? No, that is acting irrationally, which we will discuss in the next section.

Discerning between irrational fear and rational fear

There is a great difference in irrational fear and rational fear.  Rational fear is a protective device that warns us of a possible impending danger, while irrational fear is an unwarranted and unneeded fear. I have a friend who was accosted on a parking lot. A man tried to drag her into a van, but she put up such a fight that he gave up and sped away. Because of that experience, she is now very cautious about being on a parking lot alone under certain conditions. Is she right? Yes, she is because it is a rational fear based on experience; she is using the fear drive as intended, as a precaution about certain actions, which could be dangerous. Darkened parking lots have been the scene for a lot of crime and especially against women alone.

The #1 irrational fear is the fear of public speaking. I can attest to that since I have been a public speaker for many years. I might add that I’ve never fully been able to lose that initial fear of speaking completely. Nevertheless, I have not allowed it to keep me from doing that which I strongly desire to do. It actually has been a help because it makes me want to be fully prepared when I speak. I know from experience that the fear will go away within the first 60 seconds, and then I am able to move right along in complete confidence.

I believe that the best rule of thumb in dealing with fear is to think about what you are fearful of, and determine if you are being rational about it or not. Remember that it is an irrational fear that is harmful and not rational fear. Determine which it is. If it is an irrational fear, take the appropriate action to overcome it and avoid letting it keep you from doing those things you desire to do.

Take the appropriate  action to overcome irrational fear

As I mentioned above, sometimes fears are phobia driven. If this is the case, the fear can be overcome but it may require a great deal of effort. If I experience agoraphobia, fear of heights, and then I need to immerse myself in situations to prove to myself that I refuse to be a prisoner of that irrational fear. If I have a fear of flying, I need to fly. If I have a fear of dogs, then I need to be around dogs, etc. Force yourself to confront your irrational fear head on and conquer it.

The point I am making is that taking the appropriate action to overcome fear is the only way of ever freeing yourself of it. The other alternative is allowing it to control your life.

I remember when I was learning to go over a water ski jump that I went over several times and fell, which was not pleasant at all. Fear would have told me to quit, but I was determined to succeed, so I continued and finally learned to do it. There was actually an element of danger. This ski jump was on the Niagara River above Niagara Falls. The water was very swift since it flows over the 190-foot drop of the falls, just a few miles downstream. Many accidents have occurred in the past on this river and resulted in people going over the falls. A young man lost his life on this particular jump; it took several hours for his body to be recovered below the falls. The question is, was the satisfaction worth the risk? That is another thing to consider about the things we choose to do. I was only 22 at the time, and it was worth the risk, but today I have more knowledge and am better able to rationalize danger, so now it would not be worth the risk. The satisfaction of climbing to the top of Mt Everest would not be worth the risk to me, where it would be to someone else. Life has many risks, so it is necessary to evaluate and determine what level of risk you are comfortable with in order to accomplish what you want.

The unhealthy way of dealing with fear is letting it drive your life, never being willing to take any risk, and letting it keep you from living your life and doing the things you enjoy; on the other extreme is taking all sort of risks that are not worth it which put you in real, unnecessary danger.

Conclusion

Finally, we need to follow FDR’s advice to face our fears and not let them destroy our hopes of the future. It is easier just to run from them or hide behind them and forfeit a lot of the enjoyment in life. Especially avoid the unneeded worry and anxiety. I hope this article, “Overcoming Fear through knowledge and action.” has been a help if so please share it with a friend.

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents) in your personal growth.

 

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