Tell yourself, “I can do this.” That is how you control fear. You control it by taking action to change things in your life. Fear does not respect talk. Fear respects action. Fear and action cannot coexist. When you take action, fear disappears. According to Alvah Bessie, “Fear is real and there is nothing you can do about it except to keep functioning, keep your hands and legs and body moving, your mind focused on the task at hand.” To get things done, don’t focus on fear. It is there, but do not let it put you in your comfort zone. Do not accept it. Because you are better than your comfort zone. You are here to move, to work, to live, not to get stuck in a rut. Baruch Spinoza said, “Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear.” Be hopeful that things will get better. Yes, no one can predict the future. But if you work really hard right now, if you concentrate on the task at hand, you can create your own future. You can do it. Don’t make things hard for yourself. Simplify your life. Make things easy, not difficult. Do what you haven’t done before. Try different things. Do not worry about failure, worry about not doing anything to change your situation. Take on new projects. Meet new people. Stretch your brain. Create thinking time for yourself. Hang out with people who are fearless. When you are always with confident people, your level of confidence will increase. Be around people who are smarter than you are. Above all, “always do what you are afraid to do.”
