Overcoming Fear in the Face of Challenge
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
- Nelson Mandela
The COVID-19 virus is clearly impacting our planet. Thousands have contracted and died from this disease, countries are on high alert and health experts around the globe are predicting that this is just the beginning of the impact this outbreak will have on our lives.
This is a serious situation that deserves our full attention.
In times of crisis, it is understandable for us to be in fear. It is a natural reaction. One could argue that sometimes fear can be a good thing. Being aware of potential danger and having concern for our personal safety can keep us out harm’s way. It can also provide us with a surge of power to overcome an immediate threat that confronts us.
As an instructor in adrenal self-defense training for over twenty years, I have witnessed time and again, students using their fear as a catalyst for accessing their inner power. When they do this, fear becomes their friend, their asset and their secret weapon. It allows them to access a power inside themselves that they didn’t even know that had.
In this way, they transform their FEAR into FIERCE.
However, when fear overtakes us, it can cause us to show up at our worst. Irrational worry and paranoia can cause us to project our fear onto others in the form of blame, criticism and panic. It can also lead us to freeze, paralyzing us from taking appropriate action in times of challenge.
We are inhibited by fear in two distinct ways; the fear of “what is” and our fear of “what may be”. When these occur, we can ignore, or simply not be able to see, the opportunities for constructive actions that lie before us that can create the positive change we desire.
So, what does this mean for us in the health crisis we find ourselves in today?
First, I believe this means we take the precautions and actions necessary to keep ourselves healthy. These include frequent hand washing, disinfecting potentially contaminated areas, practicing social distancing, and if we are exposed to/contract the virus, keeping ourselves away from others so not to further spread it.
However, beyond these practical social practices, here are four other ways we can engage in to ensure that we do not allow fear to overcome us and actually use this situation to come out stronger than before.
- Feel the Fear, Let it Pass Through and Surrender to it - It is important for us the feel the fear, as uncomfortable as it may be, and then let it pass through us. By repressing or suppressing our fear, we only set ourselves up for greater stress, decreased reasoning and even physical illness. Consciously feeling the fear and letting it pass through us, helps to dissipate the energy and fosters a sense of calm and clarity.
Surrender does not mean “giving in” to our challenges. It does not mean running and hiding from life’s difficulties and shirking our responsibilities. Rather, it means is “giving up” our resistance to “what is” so we can focus on the actions we need to take. When we focus our energies on fighting what we don’t want (resisting our fear or our circumstances), we use up energy that could be used for going where we want to go. This resistance simply makes us ineffective. Or as author Byron Kate quips……………“When you argue with reality you lose….but only 100% of the time.”
- Stop, Drop and Breathe – When you find yourself in a situation that has you caught up in fear and resistance……………….
- Stop and look at it for what it REALLY happening and determine what you can do about it (without the story).
- Drop into your heart to access your inner guidance
- Breathe deeply to slow down your mind. Few good choices are made when we are in a state of panic or resistance. Doing this will allow you to better accept the situation as it currently is and focus your attention on the action needed to address it.
- Ask for help when needed – One of the most courageous things we can do is to ask for help, when we need it. No one great has ever gotten where to where they desire to be without the help of others. Asking for assistance, when needed, is not a sign of weakness, it is actually a sign of strength.
- Take action – From this new place of calm and clarity - take action. If you don’t know what to do, simply slow down your thoughts and think of the next right move and take it. Then the next right move, and the next, and the next………
This week, I challenge all of us to look at how we can use this current situation as an opportunity to grow and serve at a higher level. Practice these four strategies to bring greater peace, clarity and focus to our lives.
We’ve got this!
Chris Natzke
Black Belt Leadership Speaking & Coaching
PS: In these times of uncertainty, keeping safe is of the utmost importance. Download the new eBodyguard Safety App for FREE, as my gift to you, by going to https://ebodyguard.org/protectorseries/