Fear is a sneaky thing that shows up at our doorstep when we least expect it. Fear can paralyze us from doing the things we really need to do – the things we MUST do. We don’t often think of fear as a good thing, but when we shift our thinking around fear, we can not only face it, but conquer it. I saw this firsthand during multiple cancer battles from close family members, but I see it every day of my life. Small fears, big fears…they’re all real fears we must deal with.

Here are a few things that help:

  1. Name it.  When you can name your fear and recognize it, you gain a certain level of power over it. It’s still scary and hard, but it’s known. Like the name of my book, “Know Your Enemy,” once you know what you’re up against, you can approach it better.
  2. Look Big Picture. So much of our fear is based on the immediate feeling or emotion, but facing something hard and scary may have long-term benefits that we can’t see right now. Yes, it may be hard in the moment, but the benefits far outweigh the fear. When we shift our perspective to view the bigger picture, we can face that hard circumstance just a little easier. 
  3. Find your people. If you’re up against something really scary and hard (like cancer), go find your people. Don’t go at this scary thing alone. You don’t have to. And, it’s a whole lot easier when you have people by your side helping you face that fear.
  4. Educate yourself. Fear has this way of making us think we have to do it all by ourselves and that we can’t seek out help. But, the more educated and armed we are, the smarter we will be at fighting a hard battle. Find those experts who can help you fight your cancer battle. Find those people who can help with day-to-day things. Read those books and educate yourself so that you truly know how to fight your enemy. Knowledge is power and this power helps you fight your fears with confidence.  
  5. Share your story.  Friends, there is power in sharing your story. Facing hard times and fearful situations are not in vain. Your story and struggle has purpose and you can help encourage others who are going through a similar struggle simply by sharing your story. 

We often don’t get to choose when we deal with our fears, but the more I’m ready to face them, the better I get when they creep on up. We have the power to face hard things. YOU have the power to face hard things. May we face one more fear today than we did yesterday!