How Your Specific Fears Might Actually Be Good For You (& Can Help You Live Your Best Life)

We've all felt the emotion of fear at some time in our lives.

Experiences that involve risk or danger have likely caused you to be wary of being hurt or harmed. In such instances, feeling fear can prompt you to take steps to avoid danger and protect yourself. In alerting us to potential risk, fear plays a positive role.

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However, what many of us forget is that despite feeling fear, in many instances this need not restrict us from taking risks.

In fact, fear can actually encourage you to make positive changes and help you live your best life.

I was recently invited to speak about the topic of fear to an audience of 200 women for International Women's Day. An example I shared with the audience was my decision to do a tandem jump out of a plane, a gift I was given to celebrate my 40th birthday. Even though I was afraid, I was prepared to trust my experienced friend and the parachute to get me to the ground safely.

As we stood at the open doorway high above the clouds, I was aware of the potential danger and felt moments of almost overwhelming fear. Instead of letting go immediately when instructed to do so, I held on fearfully for a moment, which resulted in our tumbling in the wrong direction. Fortunately, I did not realize this at the time!

Once we were floating down toward the ground below, my fear gave way to feelings of exhilaration that were beyond anything I’d ever experienced. In this instance, I regarded fear as having been a positive force — alerting me to potential danger but allowing me to make the decision as to whether or not to take the risk involved.

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Have feelings of fear ever prevented you from making decisions or taking steps that can be life-enhancing — even when there was no real danger?

Unfortunately, our feelings of fear can transform into an underlying anxiety that does not have an apparent cause, yet limits our potential for experiencing joy and fulfillment in our lives.

Have you experienced a destructive relationship or disappointment in your personal life? If so, perhaps fear of being hurt again may be causing anxiety that is preventing you from opening your heart to the potential of joy that life, friendship, and love can bring.

Rather than avoiding the possibility of having a mutually rewarding and loving relationship, why not focus on enjoying interests and activities that can bring you into contact with like-minded people?

Perhaps a fear of failure has been preventing you from achieving what you would really like to experience in your life — whatever that may be? Taking small steps forward may open possibilities beyond your dreams!

If you find that your fears are holding you back, as long as you take the appropriate precautions — like having a parachute when jumping out of a plane — why not regard fear as your friend and make your life happen!

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Yvonne Allen is an author, public speaker and international relationship expert, who is also a well-known media consultant. Visit Yvonne's website, www.YvonneAllenRelationshipMentor.com, or discover her eBooks on Amazon — including, Love Today: What's Gender Got to Do with It, Working Women: Having it All, Winning with Women, and others — if you'd like to know more about finding your ideal relationship and reach your goals for love!