All parents instill fear in their children to protect them. Don’t touch the hot stove you can get burned, do put anything in the electric plug you will get shocked. Then the fears of so many other things will enter your mind. You will hear them from other family members, friends, show, teachers, and the list going on. Then the mind takes all those inputs and creates fears for you. Soon enough you fear people, places and tons of things.
One of my customers once told me I had to work with Bob for reporting status of a project. The first time I meet Bob I was confused, he was sitting in a dark room with one little lamp. I told him I was coming to discuss a project. He almost jumped out of his chair just with my hello, and then told me not to touch anything in his room. I asked him if there is a better place to meet, and he said no I don’t leave this office during the day. I tried to hand him a copy of a report and he quickly put on gloves to touch it. When I took a sit and asked what are you doing. I said I was going to review the report with him, and he said are you rushing me to get this done right now. You come back tomorrow.
I went directly to the boss and said are you kidding me there is no way I can work with Bob. He said, listen I know Bob has his issues, but I believe you can help him. He proceeded telling me about how outgoing Bob was and slowly he locked himself in that office full of fear. I questioned what happened and he told me Bob was running a big project that failed and was called out on it in a huge meeting. Are you telling me he is just upset with a failed project? That is what started his fears and soon he would not talk to most of the people around him. Over the course of the last couple years he has slowly shut down everyone around him.
Bob was suffering from the fear of failing again. I got him a couple books, one was called a setback is nothing but a setup for success. Finally we discussed his fears of failing, and I told him all the greats have failed before they reached new levels of success. We worked together over the next year and soon enough he was free again. He was not living in fear of failing or people.
The thing about fear is most of it is all made up in your mind. Take a look at your fears just one at a time, think hard about that issue. Focus on it and release it, then try to do the thing that you fear. You will find true freedom when you release the fears holding you back.
Much joy and love to you and yours