by Darpan Sachdeva
Fear setting is one instrument in the toolbox of conquering fear -Tim Ferriss
To achieve success in life conquering of the fear is the most important side of it. In choosing between to do or not to do? To try or not to try?
Most people will choose the latter.
Uncertainity and fear of failure is so huge on our minds that we would accept rather being unhappy than uncertain in life.
On how to conquer fear in this early days of the start of the year i again set new goals, make new resolutions to overcome the fear of failure in mind .I did the same last year but nothing came of them.
I am just as insecure and scared as the rest of the world…..
I noticed that i have built around me so many artificial fears and future sufferings that stopped me from taking the actions .I had refused so many lucrative offers from friends and business partners to grow.I have been postponing those trips to places that would open for me new opportunities in life.My fear of what if i try that and loose the one what i already have in hand never let me free.
My imagination of the worse and insecurity would not allow me to take the plunge into the world of new.
On my bliss of envisioning how bad my future suffering would be ,i hit upon a gem of an idea.This surely helped me immense in my this no happy ,be worry phase.
I decided define exactly what my nightmare would be –the worst thing that could happen in case of my taking the new extra step.
In other words i started to assign the fear setting in play in me.
Conquering fear=Defining fear
The moment i practiced the fear setting ,I realized that it wouldn’t be that hard to get back to where I was, let alone survive. None of these things will be fatal -not even close. They would be mere new memoirs in the journey of life.
In comparing the best scene scenario to the worst scene scenario, I could clearly see the positive life changing effect my action and steps would bring that were struck due to the fears in mind.
“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles but most of them never happened”-Mark Twain
Once fear setting is done and defined, comes in, fear rehearsing. This is how to conquer fear.
I am trying to practice this on me and is in my list of personal goals for this year. This is regularly micro dosing my self with worst case scenario in case of failure. This would help actually in facing a failure or “bad” when it comes.
How to conquer fear-Fear rehearsing is some thing that has been practiced by the ancient Roman emperors many a times.Seneca writes about it boldly in his letter 18 from Moral letter to Lucilius .
I am so firmly determind by your mind(lucilius)that,drawing from the teachings of great men ,i shall give you also a lesson:Set aside a certain number of days,during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fear,with coarse and rough dress,saying to your self the while :”Is this the condition that i feared?”It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress ,and it is while fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence.
In days of peace the soldier performs maneuvers,throws up earthworks with no money in sight,and wearies himself by gratuitous toil,in order that he may be equal to unavoidable toil.If you would not have a man flinch when the crises comes,train him before it comes.Such is the course which those men have followed who ,in their imitation of poverty,have every month come almost to want,that they might never recoil from what they had so often rehearsed.
You need not suppose that i mean meals like Timon’s,or “paupers’ huts,”or any other device which luxurious millionaires use to beguile the tedium of their lives.Let the pallet be a real one ,and the cloak coarse;let the bread be hard and grimy.Endure all this for three or four days at a time,some times for more,so that it may be a test of yourself instead of a mere hobby.Then ,i assure you,my dear Lucilius,you will leap for joy when filled with a pennyworth of food,and you will understand that a man’s peace of mind does not depend upon Fortune;for,even when angry she grants enough for our needs.
As the new new year starts,
I shall be implementing these fear rehearsing practices within me. Shall be practicing minimalism as a way of life to help realize -how independent our well being is from having an excess of money.
This makes it easier to take “risks” and say “no“ to things that seem too lucrative to abandon.
How to conquer fear-
Risk taking and fear rehearsing is one thing that every one should try on their skin .This would always help in getting to new heights and success.
