Facing Our Fears to Achieve Our Goals

Fear has a purpose. It helps keep us safe, keeps us from taking too dangerous of risks. For too many people though, the power of fear keeps them from improving their lives. In order to become self-confident you must believe you can try to change and succeed. Facing your fear is essential to living the life you most want to lead.

Being afraid is a pretty intense emotion. The first time we feel it we might not even know why. Strangely enough, it is not always the fear of failure that forces us to grab ahold. Sometimes it is the fear of success that takes the driver's seat.

To understand how to defeat your fear, you must understand its motivation.

Many times people can easily list the benefits to the situations they're headed into. It's what they don't know that's so frightening. "What will happen if I leave my husband?" "What will happen once we're married?" "How will this baby change my life?"

Fear can paralyze your ability to make decisions. When that happens, it's time to survey your options. The world is full of resources where possible outcomes can be rehashed and researched. Talk to other newlyweds and divorcees. Check out parenting TV shows, books and message boards.

Don't be afraid to use your personal resources. If a friend or neighbor has gone through something similar, talk to that person. There's no substitute for having been there.

Once you understand what kinds of consequences you're facing, it's much easier to prepare for them.