3 Powerful Ways To Conquer Your Fear

The water was beautiful, clear, and warm. I had my new bathing suit on and my shoes off. I was registered and ready! Or so I thought. The friendly instructor waved at me with an inviting smile. “You can come in!” she said, and my heart sank as I walked slowly toward her in the seemingly GIGANTIC pool. I knew I was safe, yet I was terrified – the anxiety had been building up all day in anticipation of this event.

She gathered us up in a circle and asked us a few questions. As the others answered, I felt inadequate. Not only was I scared, I was the only one with NO swimming experience. My body was tense, the butterflies in my stomach, my heart was rapidly beating. I always tell the girls that the feelings of fear and excitement, passion, and love provoke the same response in our bodies, and we have to make a choice. I reminded myself that I had been waiting for this moment for decades, and I chose to be excited and embrace my opportunity!

Don’t be ashamed to be afraid! As a matter of fact, the first step to change anything in our lives is to accept that it needs changing, fixing, or improving.

FEAR is a necessary human emotion that allows us to make safe decisions. It was good that I didn’t decide to dive in the ocean, because of my great faith and my fearless nature. Imagine that! The problem is when it stops us from doing what we desire, what is right, what we must do.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Being BRAVE is a choice to face the fear and to do what we must do, say what we must say, and be who we must be, anyway!

As I listened to my sweet instructor and saw my 10 year old daughter jump with joy in this moment we had longed for, I felt my energy shift from a paralyzing fear to an empowering faith that allowed me to trust. Elyssa and I both chose to willingly follow small steps, in faith.

This faith gave me permission to endure to what seemed like the longest 30 minutes of my existence – yes, including pushing babies out into the world. Isn’t that crazy?! I consciously let go of my past experiences, and avoided my worry of what could happen in the future from holding me back. Being in the PRESENT moment helped me enjoy the process, because I stopped judging myself and started focusing on what was truly happening: I was swimming!!!

I will go swim again tonight and I know my fear hasn’t been eliminated, but I am doing it anyway. In fact, I am looking forward to it. I know the first few seconds will be challenging, but if I can move past them, I will be okay victorious. It was pure awesomeness to be able to do it, and it will be even more amazing today!

What are you afraid of? Use these 3 powerful ways to conquer your fear and summon your courage:

1. choose to be excited
2. choose to trust
3. choose to follow baby steps without judging yourself harshly

If I can do it, you can too. You can control your fear, you can release your fear, you can melt away your fear, you can ease your fear. You can be, do, and have what you desire when you focus on the truth of what you wish to create.

A mix of Ela+MLK: I’m free at last, I’m free at last, Thank God Almighty, I SWIM at last!

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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