Five ways in which your fear is stopping you from living a fulfilling life
Five ways in which your fear is stopping you from living a fulfilling life.
All emotions have survival value. Even the most difficult emotions like anger, fear, sadness, jealousy, disgust etc.
Fear especially, is an indication to the self, regarding a danger, or risky situation. A threat of danger, or pain, or harm could invoke the fear in us. This could be a real threat or perceived threat.
But when fear stops you from living a fulfilling life, then it is time to introspect on the same and take actions in such a way that it doesn’t become a constraint for you in your life.
- Fear of failure
Nobody really wants to fail in anything. And hence it is normal to fear failure, as long as that fear drives you to prepare well and reduce the probability of failure. But if the fear of failure is excessive, then you might not even attempt at the activity, fearing failure in the same.
- Fear of attachment
When you fear attachment, it makes you extremely uncomfortable becoming close to someone else. When that happens, you might tend to push away the other person or to move away from them. It means that you cannot completely give yourself or be completely involved in a close relationship. You would miss out on experiencing a warm, genuine and secure feeling in your interpersonal interactions.
- Fear of the future
Either you fear what might happen in the future, or you might fear that the past might recur. Both ways you are unable to live in the “Now” completely. Constantly living in the past or living in the future robs away your now. You find yourself unable to live and enjoy the present. It is okay to think about the future, plan and prepare for the future. But if you fear an unpleasant event in the future and stop living the now, then there is no life and no possibility of a future.
- Fear of uncertainty
We all want certainty in life. But when you don’t know what you can expect then there is uncertainty. The fear of uncertainty can stop you from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and not allowing yourself to take that initiative. Any growth can happen only when you venture out of your comfort zone. You deprive yourself of growth opportunities and this can lead to stagnation and discontent.
- Fear of what other people think
When you fear of what other people think of you, it could be about, what they think of you what they talk about you, how they judge you, whether they like you or not?
In this process, you end up putting up a facade, a projection to make people think of you a certain way. You end up losing your right to be yourself and everything that you do is an attempt to maintain that image that you sought to create about yourself in others.
About the Author:
Kala Balasubramanian is certified Counselling Psychologist/Psychotherapist with a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Diplomas in Counselling and has further certifications specializing in couple/marriage/relationship counselling and family counselling. She provides a supportive, understanding, professional and confidential environment to work with clients – Individuals and Couples explore their emotions, help them understand and manage their challenges, relationships and stress better.