The Secret to Overcoming Fear

I have seen so many posts on social media telling people to “get over your fear,” “stop being afraid,” or “let the fearful do their thing, I’ll do me.” It makes me cringe.

So, I thought I’d share the one simple secret to getting over fear so we can put an end to this once and for all… So what is the secret to getting over fear? Spoiler alert: You can’t. Fear is an emotion to be felt. It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just a warning in our brain that danger is potentially present.

For some of us, that emotion is amplified and at times irrational. Yet it’s not the fear itself that is destructive, it is the response to the fear. Our fear response determines our courage or cowardice. If our fear leads us to lean into hate, we are being cowardly. If it leads us to lean into compassion, love, or adventure, we are being courageous.

The truth is, we can’t be courageous unless we first experience fear.

Our goal then should not be to “get over” fear, pretend it doesn’t exist, or stick our heads in the sand. Instead to “transcend” it. Only then can we open the door to courage.