What does fear tell you?

What Does Fear Tell You?

Fear is nothing to fear. Fear is our body's way of telling us to pay attention. Fear is neither good nor bad. It just is. There was a popular book entitled, "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway." Great book, but I might revise the title just a tad. Yes, I think you should feel the fear, but before you do anything, listen to what the fear tells you.

Fear is the traffic light of life. When it is green we go, yellow we slow down, and when it is red we stop. Fear is red. It tells us to stop and pay attention. It doesn't necessarily mean stay stopped, or stuck, but stop before you proceed. Fear is our built in mechanism that warns us that something isn't right, that there might be a problem or we simply need to think about our next move.

I recognize immediately when I go into fear mode. I feel it in my body. I get a sick feeling in my stomach and I feel uneasy. When I feel that, I pay attention. I ask myself what am I afraid of. Sometimes the fear is unfounded and I move on. Many times the fear is a warning and I am able to take a step back before I get myself into something I'll regret later. Fear has saved me many times, and it is only when I ignore it that I get in trouble.

Fear is our friend if we let it. Feel the fear, and then ask yourself what you are afraid of. Then listen for the answer. Fear is nature's way of telling us that there may be a problem. Fear is our built in mechanism for fight or flight. It is our personal warning device.

Pay attention to how you feel when in fear mode. How does your body react when you are afraid? Once you know that, you can begin to tune in and listen to what fear is telling you. Understanding the signals of fear will allow you to respond to the fear and not react. Fear is a wonderful gift that nature gave us, so use it.