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Fear – /fi(e)r/
Noun: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Verb: Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.
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As a child, I used to sleep in the basement.
I’ll be honest with you… it sucked.
For most of my childhood I lasted maybe 30 minutes in that dark, lonely prison all by myself.
I tried counting sheep, hiding under the covers and “willing” myself to sleep.
These techniques rarely worked.
At some point, I would grab my pillow and blanket and race out of my room. I had to cross the family room, which had toys scattered all over the place, ultimately slowing my sprint dramatically… Though this wasn’t my biggest worry…
The area that sent my heart into a panic was the “work room”. This room lay just behind the stairs and housed every form of monster: goblins, trolls and of course the classic boogie man.
As soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, my little legs lifted me up so fast Michael Johnson wouldn’t have been able to touch me.
Each time I made it to the top I thanked the Lord and did a little dance in my heart that I was spared from being dragged into the netherworld and devoured.
With pillow and blanket in hand, I jumped into the air and dove onto the couch. After snuggling myself in, Mr. Sandman quickly visited and I fell fast asleep.
****
How often do we fear things that never happen… or don’t even exist?
As I reflect on my childhood, I can’t help but think about the silliness of worrying about monsters.
My fear of things unseen (and unreal) prevented me from getting a good nights’ rest in my own bed.
Though it would be a lie to say that this was the only time I was afraid.
Throughout my life I have been afraid of getting bad grades, asking girls out, standing up for people being picked on… the list goes on. Now, this post is certainly not a confessional of all things I am afraid of.
***What this post IS about is a discovery of what fear is and how we can overcome fears in our own life.***
What Is Fear?
Fear is a natural protective emotion that we experience when we perceive danger. We can have physical, emotional or behavioral responses to fear. When we respond to a situation with fear, the chemical “epinephrine” is released from our adrenal glands and gives us the ability to fight lions or jump through glass.
This is known as the “fight or flight” response and is very important to our survival. Our body reacts in a number of different ways including:
-Rapid heart rate
-Increased blood pressure
-Tightening of muscles
-Sharpened or redirected senses
-Dilation of the pupils (to let in more light)
-Increased sweating
If you’ve lived in a box all your life & have never felt the “fight or flight” response… watch this clip (your jaw will drop.)
Now that I have your heart racing… let me ask you a question…
Have we, as a society, overcompensated and see fear everywhere… even when it doesn’t really exist?
I know your adrenaline is pumping after watching that video and you may not be able to think straight so I’ll answer that for you… yes, we have.
Too many of us live in a constant “what if” state.
You might be wondering… so what? What’s it to you that I worry so much? I propose that this overcompensated fear or maladaptive fear is really destroying your life.
Why Fear Can Kill Your Future…
“Whatever I think about is what I’m becoming.” – Author unknown
Have you ever heard of the self-fulfilling prophesy?
Many of us let negative and fearful thoughts run rampant through our minds all day long.
We worry about whether we’ll get a job or pass our class or be able to run that race we’ve been preparing for.
Well guess what? Typically you will get what you ask for.
Now, I am NOT a believer in the “law of attraction” and that we can basically become our own gods by “willing” the things we want into our lives. HOWEVER, I do know the personal destructive nature of negative thoughts on my own life and how fear is typically the foundation.
When we let fear run our lives we miss out on so many opportunities to create your own Epic Quest of Awesome. We choose to shelter ourselves from the richness and beauty this life has to offer.
The below chart shows the percentage of TOTAL people in the U.S. that have some of the most common fears.
Why are we so afraid?
It still astounds me that public speaking is scarier than death for most people. Essentially we are afraid of people rejecting us and then isolating us. Is this the worst thing that could happen? Wouldn’t you enjoy the peace and quiet for awhile?
“Believing our untrue thoughts is a good way to scare ourselves to death.” Byron Katie
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Why I Asked 13 Top Hollywood Stunt Doubles How They Overcome Fear…
* Photo of Hannah Kozak doing a car hit on Dead Aim directed by Bill Vanderkloot
“It is never safe to look into the future with eyes of fear.” – Edward Henry Harriman
Many therapists have been helping people overcome phobias for decades. And there is a lot of research on how to overcome fear.
****I want to take a different approach to the topic of fear…****
I thought, “What better person to talk about overcoming fear than the person that deals with it every day of their life…and overcomes it?”
Stuntmen (and women) regularly fall off buildings, are set on fire, crash cars at speeds of over 100 mph and do pretty much anything else a movie calls for.
They have to control their mind and body and push themselves to perform a stunt on cue, with few mistakes AND in the midst of fear.
This takes tremendous internal strength and mental toughness.
Here’s The Question I Asked The Stunt Doubles…
“When you are working on a dangerous or challenging stunt and you start to experience fear what do you do to overcome it?”
I know you will find the answers as enlightening as I did. I highlighted certain parts that I felt were especially helpful for me.
At the end of the article, I have a bunch of resources on how to overcome your own fears and live the life you have always dreamed.
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How To Overcome Fear: 13 Top Hollywood Stunt Doubles Share Their Secrets For Kicking Fear In The Face
Olivia Summers – Stunt Double for Drea de Matteo in Desperate Housewives
“If I get nervous or experience fear running through me I have to talk myself out of that feeling. I remind myself this is a temporary feeling that will pass and I also remind myself this feeling is excitement not fear!
If it is a stunt that is close to a cliff or my life could end shortly I always talk to God to keep me safe and he always does. ;)”
Other Stunts: Two and a Half Men, Hung, CSI: Miami, 24, House M.D., Monk and many others. To see more of her stunts visit her IMDb Profile.
Follow Olivia on Twitter & Facebook and learn more about her at OliviaSummers.com.
Jeremy Fry – Stunt Double for Ryan Gosling in Drive
“I run into fear often on set, but it’s usually in the context of “What if someone notices the holes in my socks?” When it goes beyond that, I can usually overcome it by reminding myself that nothing could I fear more than when my wife discovers that I mixed light and dark loads of laundry.
But on those occasions when fear is facing me in the form of a little black radio that will momentarily launch me into action that holds significant consequences, I have already begun to address it hours, days or even weeks before.
I primarily perform car stunts, but a good portion of my resume includes fights, wire work and fire. But the biggest gags, for me, have been behind the wheel. In Drive, for example, while I doubled Ryan Gosling, for the main car chase, I got to additionally drive the car chasing him when it crashes into a barricade.
The planning started months before, with the coordinator and I coming up with a sequence that we thought original and plausible. We discussed the specifics of the crash and decided that it could be done safely. From there we did a rehearsal and ultimately shot it. Sitting at one (the starting point), my heart was racing because there were many factors involved: This was a crash unlike any I had ever seen staged, so there was an unknown factor there. I had several responsibilities including hitting a pretty precise mark, deploying sliders at a certain time with one button, hitting a cannon at a specific time with another button and going around the corner as fast as possible without bottoming out the cannon and spinning the car out, while gaining on the Mustang and being close at impact, but not too close as there was an actor in addition to a stunt driver in the car. The crew had been prepping this shot for 5 hours that day, and it would all come down to me performing. Oh yeah – one shot. No backup car, so if I wad it up, we go home empty-handed.
All of this is going through my mind. And while I don’t thrive on that kind of pressure, I have learned to overcome it. I think it through logically: People have survived worse crashes than what we have set up, and with far less safety gear. Several sets of experienced eyes have looked at what we are doing besides myself and we all feel it is safe. Everything I am about to do is well within my capability. (I can hit a button at a certain time. I can slide a car and hit a precise mark.) It just comes down to almost literally switching off the part of my brain that is screaming out, “It’s not safe! You might mess it up!” and focusing on what I will do. I run though the motions physically and mentally, closing my eyes and going through all of the steps of what is about to happen, visualizing the entire run.
I pray about it, and ask God to work though me to perform well. As the creator of the universe, I know He can make it happen flawlessly, and I ask for His favor. Without His blessing, I know there is nothing I can do that is worth more than rags. It comes down to preparation and planning; the good old 7 P’s. I work hard, pray hard and don’t put myself in situations that I am not 100% sure I can do. With that in mind, I know I can safely turn off the fear switch and focus on what needs to happen. Any part of my brain working on the fear is not working on accomplishing the goal, and I need all the braincells I have working for me, not against.
I don’t know how many other stunt performers would share my opinion, but I often prefer having done stunts to actually doing them.”
Other Stunts: The Avengers, 24, Spider-Man 2, Green Lantern, and many others. To view all of Jeremy’s stunts check out his IMDb Profile.
Tom Waite – Stunt Double for Nicolas Cage in Trespass
“I like how your question is “when you experience fear” and not “if you experience fear”. We all experience fear. It’s what you do with it that makes you or breaks you.
First of all, I have the luxury of not having a choice. When the cameras are rolling and the director yells action, I have to go whether I want to or not, or I risk jeopardizing my entire career.
Safety is always first in the stunt profession. In stunts, I think the biggest fear is that of being permanently injured. You have to come to terms with the fact of that possibility when you enter this profession. With that being said, fear still finds a way in.
On your own time, you are always training to keep in shape. Familiarity breeds confidence. Confidence is a powerful weapon against fear. When doing a dangerous stunt you have to feel confident about the preparations you have done for that particular gag. You have to know you are ready.
When I feel that fear rise up in me, I tell myself: “I have prepared and I am confident that I have done everything I can to make sure this stunt goes smoothly.”
Now on a personal level, I don’t believe I will ever totally “overcome” fear. It seems to keep coming back over and over. I fight fear with anger. I get very angry at myself for being afraid but I refuse to let fear stop me. I may pass on a job because I think it is beyond my capability, but I will never pass up something because I am afraid.
I think it’s ok to be afraid, just don’t stay afraid.”
Other Stunts: The Amazing Spider-Man, Snow White and the Huntsman, Chuck, The Last Airbender, and many more. To see more of his stunts and learn more about him check out his IMDb Profile.
Courtney Farnsworth – Stunt Double for Ashley Johnson in The Avengers
“Fear is something I experience quite a bit actually. It’s funny, I love my job because it scares me. It makes me feel accomplished when I do something I’m afraid of. So, even though I may be frightened, I still say bring it on! Overcoming the fear on set is definitely something I identify with. First off I have an amazing amount of trust for those coordinators who hire me and the riggers. I have to trust that they will do everything they can to keep me safe. Secondly, I take an extraordinary amount of deep breaths. I also keep reminding myself that the anticipation of performing well and safely is almost always worse than the actual gig. I pay very close attention to what is expected of me. I do not want to have to do something I’m afraid of over and over again because of an error on my part. Getting it right the first time is a top priority. I do have to admit though when I’m up and I hear “Rolling!” “Speed” I start to shake with adrenaline and attempt to keep breathing. It’s a huge rush. Then when I hear or see my cue, I don’t think about being afraid. I think about what I need to do to make the stunt as great as it can be as safe as it can be. Then when it’s over I get a huge surge of pride and confidence. That feeling is one of my favorites.
For example, I’m not afraid of heights. At all. But I am afraid of high falls. I don’t usually get called to do them which is good, because I probably wouldn’t turn it down. But I was called for a Gilmore Girls episode. I was to be attached to a descender and lifted by a crane onto an 80 foot scaffold. Then step off the edge and drop straight down. The descender would act as a light bungee before I hit the ground. Then it would slowly lower me to the ground. I’m not a high fall person as I said. But, I’m REALLY not a drop straight down person. So this was a challenge for me. And to top it off, I had the stomach flu that day. I did it though. I made it through being lifted and dropping and waiting to be unharnessed before getting sick. All 10 times. I wasn’t the only person working that day. There were six of us and we each had a partner. On our first drop when we landed safely, my partner said to me “Hey do you think something’s wrong with our wire? I kept hearing a high pitched noise and that can’t be good.” I said “That was me. Not the wire.” I laugh about it now. But that was really scary. I did my best to smile and stay silent on the next 9 takes.
Another example was on JAG. I had to ride in a bi-plane that was supposed to be flown by someone who didn’t know how to fly. So lots of shaking in the air, weaving, straight ups, straight downs, half barrel rolls. Things like that. There was lots of trust reminders for me on that day. The word “trust and faith” were my ohms, if you will, leading up to it. People may think it’s easy to be passenger. But it takes an awesome amount of trust and faith in your driver, or in my case, pilot.
I believe that the fear I feel is what keeps me safe. I’m never too big for my britches and over confident. It makes me pay attention and I don’t make silly mistakes that can get me injured. It helps to fuel my success. Overcoming something I’m afraid of gives me confidence and strength. It isn’t easy. But when a director calls “ACTION”, something takes over and you just do it. And then, you glow (even if you do get banged up and bloodied). And that, is why I love being afraid of my job.”
Other Stunts: NCIS, CSI: NY, Ghost Whisperer, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, Charlies Angels, Bring It On and many others. To see Courtney’s other stunts and learn more about her visit her IMDb Profile.
Timothy Eulich – Stunt Double for Timothy Hutton in Leverage
“Breathe. When adrenaline starts coursing through your body, your heart rate spikes and your vision flattens out. The fastest and most effective way to slow everything down and refocus is to take long deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. This technique is nothing new. Professional athletes and soldiers have been practicing this for thousands of years. Deep, slow breathing will allow you to broaden your focus and visualize success rather than be consumed fear by negativity.
That being said, FEAR IS NOT A BAD THING. In my business, fear is your friend. Too much fear can get you or your colleagues hurt, but no fear is just as dangerous. You have to find a healthy balance. A little bit of fear shows me that I respect the potential danger in what I am about to do. Knowing how to find that balance is what separates the professionals from the amatures. One last thing worth mentioning is this… if something isn’t right, DON’T DO IT. I always surround myself with people I trust and quality gear that I have inspected myself. If I’m experiencing fear because I don’t trust the people around me and the gear that they are using, I will do what I can to fix it or I’ll walk away. No paycheck is worth spending the rest of your life in a wheel chair.”
More Stunts: Project X, CSI, Crime Scene Investigation, The Icarus II Project, Hard Breakers, Grey’s Anatomy, and others. To see a full list of Timothy’s stunts, visit his IMDb Profile.
To learn more about him visit his website at TimothyEulich.com.
Kylie Furneaux – Stunt Double for Cobie Smulders in The Avengers
“Fear is definitely one thing that stunt people face on a regular basis. If the job we were doing wasn’t dangerous, the actor would be doing it.
The way I deal with fear is more based on prevention than management in the moment. I like to make sure that I am totally prepared for the stunt that I am doing. I will rehearse it many times and visualize a perfect beginning, middle and end to the sequence. The more prepared I am, the less I have to worry about. Just before they call action for a stunt, the body’s natural “fight or flight” mechanism clicks in. Your brain knows that you are about to put the body into physical danger and floods the body with adrenalin, supplying it with an extra burst of endorphins that will enable you to get out of that danger. Symptoms of this include an increased heart beat, more rapid breathing and muscle shakes (looks a little like fear). When this kicks in for me I breath deeply to relax and just allow it to happen. Fighting it makes it worse. The last thing I do as the director or stunt coordinator counts down to “action” is a long slow breath out. This relaxes my body and then I allow all my preparation and training take over. My body knows how to protect itself and my brain knows where my body needs to be but it all happens so fast that forcing it just leads to a tense body and torn muscles. And if I trust this process, what is there to fear?
On the rare occasion I do feel fear kicking it, I just tell myself that fear or not, I am doing what I am about to do so feeling fear doesn’t help anything. The outcome will be what it will be and nothing I can do now will change that. I am not the type of person to back out of something I am committed to and so I place the fear in a different part of my mind and ignore the little voice in the back of my head that is whispering negative “what ifs?”.
I also find that dealing with fear is a skill and like any other skill the more you practice it, the better you will become at it. The more that you do put yourself in a position where fear is your body’s natural response, the easier it is. Now I’m definitely not suggesting that you continually scare yourself because eventually your body’s nervous system gets a bit overloaded and you become continually jumpy at the littlest things, but if you are scared of something, explore where the fear comes from. Is it a realistic fear? And then maybe just try doing it until it doesn’t scare you anymore…”
Other Stunts: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Thor, TRON: Legacy, 2012, X-Men: The Last Stand and many others. To view all of Kylie’s stunts visit her IMDb Profile.
David Morizot – Stunt Double for Stephen Baldwin in Cutaway
“I think it is useful to separate what we recognize as ” fear” from those feelings that put us into a state of “caution.” It is rational and natural to feel cautious about things that involve danger and potential threat to life and limb, but it is irrational to be overcome with a state of fear. If someone is afraid of something, say a fear of heights, then I believe they shouldn’t engage in an activity that requires top physical and mental performance in that arena, such as performing high falls. On the other hand, if someone doesn’t feel the jitters that a sensible person should feel in a dangerous situation, then they may be too foolhardy to trust with the level of danger involved. All that being said, the best way to overcome risking a potential accident during a stunt is to train yourself to perform the action in a 100% safe manner, and then to exclusively keep the positive mental picture of what you want to happen in your thoughts “on the day” when you are actually performing the stunt. 9 times out of 10, if you think of what you don’t want to happen while you are in the moment, you will reproduce that mental failure.“
Other Stunts: The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America: the First Avenger, chuck, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jarhead and many others. To see all of David’s stunts, check out his IMDb Profile.
Petra Sprecher – Stunt Double for Queen Latifah in Scary Movie 3
“The most important thing is to be clear in your head, as to what exactly it is, that you’re about to do!
Visualization is key. And don’t let go of it until you’re done. In addition to intense concentration, you need the training and the experience to back it up.
Because of my aerial circus background, my spatial awareness is pretty good.
Surprisingly enough, the “bigger” (or higher) the stunt, the less I’m afraid. I don’t know why that is, but somehow I confidently know, that I’ll do well.
It’s the “smaller” (or lower) gigs that can get to you.
I remember working on a pilot where there was a fashion show going on. I was playing a (stunt-) runway model, had a gun hidden under my gown, and when all hell broke lose in the scene, all I had to do is fall from the runway platform and take out a nicely decorated table on my way to the ground.
Out of all the stunts that I’ve done, I remember that before this one, my mind started to play tricks on me.
To overcome the fear, I mentally walked myself through it over and over again, step- by – step and dialed it in. In addition, and this goes for all stunts involving my body impacting a walI, floor, etc., I draw an imaginary protection line around my entire body and fill it with energy.
I fully understand that this may sound new- agie to some, but it works for me!
…add a shot of adrenaline to the mix and we’ve got a recipe for success!”
Other Stunts: Cold Case, Eagle Eye, Hancock, Lincoln Heights, Jericho, The Sheild, AEon Flux, CSI: NY and many others. To view all of Petra’s stunts, check out her IMDb Profile.
Edward Duran – Stunt Double for Johnny Knoxville in The Last Stand
“We are often in dangerous or precarious situations which is why we do what we do but we are not cliche and reckless. The last thing we want is for someone to be hurt and fear is what helps you think.
For a gag that is unpredictable or has high potential for injury my nerves are always running, that is when I just remind my self to stay calm and think, I like to visualize how I see the out come. A fire burn would be a good example. This is a situation with many factors for injury, and can make a person very claustrophobic, so I calm my breathing and think about what I am about to do and how I want to achieve it.”
Other Stunts: Jackie, In Plain Sight, Vegas, The Reunion, Thor, SGU Stargate Universe, and many others. To view all of Edward’s stunts, check out his IMDb Profile.
Justin Gant – Stunt Double for Taylor Gray in Thunderstruck
“I try not to think about the upcoming gag if it’s a big one. You never want to over think it. On the day, when they call stunts to set you get that rush of adrenaline. When I step on set usually everyone kind of Blurs from my vision. I get this odd sort of tunnel vision where it’s all focus, just me and the stunt nobody else exists in that moment! The stunt is now real it’s my reality. ( I have a good friend who experiences the same thing, I think it’s an athlete thing. He remembers getting it back in his LSU football days.) right before I say a quick prayer and think about my wife & kid. Then they yell stunts ready, I give the thumbs up cameras rolling… At this point it. Goes silent, heart pounding, no more thinking its just me reacting & getting to my final mark safely no matter what the gag, could be a full body fire burn, getting hit by a car, highfall through a widow who knows. The feelings all the same. The Director yells action & everything slows down at this moment, everything goes silent, I’m aware of every movement im making, I hit my marks & they yell cut. That’s what I feel. I’m not sure if everyone is the same. We all have our rituals before stunts.“
Other Stunts: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Project X, J. Edgar, God Bless America and many others. To view all of Justin’s stunts check out his IMDb Profile.
Florian Robin – Stunt Double for Aaron Stanford in The Hills Have Eyes
“As I’m going to perform for a dangerous or challenging stunt I know exactly what I’m doing. As the stunt been rehearsed during the Prep. But the pressure is present on me at all time because the environment on set is different than the prep.
I am now facing the cameras, the director, Stunt Coordinator and Personal high expectations.
Everything becomes uncomfortable (Costume, High heartbeat, noise around me) the only thing I have to focus on is the actual performance (the stunt).
I’m trying to think SIMPLE, I try to remember the advise given by the Stunt coordinator during the rehearsals.
I don’t have to think about the safety side of the Stunt as all the stunt team is working on it. Your entourage (Stunt coordinator and Stunt team) is one of the keys for releasing pressure & a successful Take!
I’m now, ready to go…
And “3 – 2 – 1…. ACTION” The most important thing during the countdown is to get the TIMING right. A stunt can be well performed but if I don’t perform it on the right timing the camera operator won’t catch it on camera.
I’ve just done the stunt, most of the time I won’t remember it in details. But I always have a feeling of satisfaction or some times dissatisfaction. In both cases, most of the time you have to go again for a second Take.
Those short moments of Heightened Adrenaline, are the moments I’m chasing in life. If it s not on set, I have to chase the them by experimenting new sports for developing my skills. You can notice, I never use the word “fear” it is just because it seams to me more appropriate to use the word “Pressure”. However “pressure” could be a kind of “fear”.”
Other Stunts: Alexander, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Prometheus and many others. To view all Florian’s stunts check out his IMDb Profile.
Eddie Fernandez – Stunt Double for George Lopez in Valentine’s Day
“To answer your question I’ve been doing action stunts for over 20 years. And when the camera roll my hands get clammy and my heart still beets fast. It’s normal to feel the fear, anything could go wrong! It could be the easy stunt and if you don’t experience fear that’s when things will go wrong.
I know when I am performing the stunt, that all the experiences and rehearsal I put myself though will give me the confidences I need to perform.
“Practices makes perfect”!
And a little prayer to whoever you believe in helps too. :0) LOL”
Other Stunts: The Expendables, The Hunger Games, Batman Begins, No Country for Old Men and many others. To see a full list of Eddie’s stunts check out his IMDb Profile.
You can also learn more about him at ActionEddie.com.
Hannah Kozak – Stunt Double for Angelina Jolie in George Wallace
“Before every stunt I would repeat a mantra my stunt mentor taught me and I went inside for strength. I immersed myself in fear, which dilutes its power.
I became intimate with fear by looking it in the eye. I believe a great power comes from walking into what terrifies us.
An unshakeable belief in G-d imbued me with an unconquerable belief in myself.”
Other Stunts: Iron Man 2, Iron Man, Transformers, Con Air, Austin Powers: International Man of Myster, and many others. To view all of Hannah’s stunts check out her IMDb Profile.
Bonus Stunt Double Answers…
Carl Paoli – Stunt Double for Patrick Swayze in The Beast, Richard Gere in Brooklyn’s Finest & Patrick Dempsey in Transformers 3
“I prefer to look at the moment and change the word or feeling of fear to thrilling. As a stuntman, my intention is to not get hurt. So I approach it like one would a roller coaster. I know I will feel excitement and rapid changes in altitude or move at accelerated speeds in any direction but I will have taken every precaution to avoid injury. I will continue to evaluate, keep sharp focus and attention for alterations that may be necessary during the event and still fear would just be a waste and interfere with my most positive outcome. I am aware of the feelings of caution and concern. My aggressiveness can be stunted with pain and injury. Still fear is an un-acceptance of reality.”
Other Stunts: The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, House M.D., Taxi, and many more. To view all of Carl’s stunts check out his IMDb Profile.
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Thank You To All The Stunt Professionals That Participated!
I would like to take a moment here to thank each of the men and women that participated in this article about fear. Your answers are truly insightful and enlightening.
I’m Still Afraid… What Are Some Additional Resources? (10 Techniques For Overcoming Fear):
Below are my 10 tips for overcoming fear. We all deal with fear whether we are jumping off a building or applying for a new job. Having a “tried & true” technique for helping us is always helpful. Here are a few that have helped me.
1. Use The “Four-Seven-Eight Breath” – Deep breathing is so important to relaxing your body and overcoming fear.
2. Checkout The 18 Step “Overcome Fear” Visualization – Here’s a great step-by-step process for overcoming fear by controlling one’s mind.
3. Use The Power of Positive Thinking
4. Master Tony Robbins’ 10 Day Mental Challenge –
Here’s how it works…
Rule 1: For the next 10 days, do not dwell on any unresourceful thought or feeling.
Rule 2: When you catch yourself thinking or feeling something negative, immediately use one of your state-management techniques to direct yourself to a better state.
Rule 3: For the next 10 days, focus solely on solutions. As soon as a possible challenge pops up, immediately focus on what the solution could be.
Rule 4: If you indulge or dwell in any negative or nonresourceful feeling for any measurable length of time, start all over with the challenge.
5. Realize All The Things That Fear Robs You Of… This is a must read by our friends over at The Art of Manliness.
6. Take The 7 Day Extreme Push Up Challenge! – Had to give this plug here. Overcoming a challenge will help instill deeper confidence in yourself.
7. Learn From The 7 Greatest “Fear Masters” Of All Time – In this article, my buddy Phil Drolet over at TheFeelGoodLifestyle.com shares a great post on how some of the greatest masters of all time overcame fear.
8. Learn From Chris Guillebeau Over At “The Art of Non-Conformity“ – Here’s what he has to say about fear:
“Don’t try to be fearless or pretend you aren’t impacted by fear. Just try to prevent fear from making your decisions for you.” – Chris
9. Use The Step-By-Step Process of Going From Fear To Freedom – Learn this process and what “Joyfear” is…
10. Have Faith! – You will notice that many of these stunt doubles shared their faith that God will protect them. Here’s a great verse to help:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me”- Psalm 23: 1-4
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Realize that you are stronger than you think and that the fears in front of you are not as monumental as you believe.
“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.“ – Ralph Waldo Emerson
-Todd
King Shot Administer
so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading your articles