Written by: Myles Morgan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Fear can sometimes hijack our workflow during the day. Because of this, it’s important to develop quick and easy ways to disrupt, reduce, or eliminate fear when it shows up so that we can work more effectively. Here is one strategy that helps you do just that by converting your fears into faith.
”There is a tightness in my chest, and I’m struggling to focus. What is this?”
This is the question I paused to ask myself as I eased into work one morning. As I got started on my most important task for the day, I felt a sense of tightness arising in my chest, tension in my neck, and pressure in my head. And there is this dreadful, urgent feeling of high stakes that I just can’t put my finger on.
By now, I am familiar with these sensations. They are a sign that I’m carrying fear in my body. And I know that whenever I am “carrying fear,” that means I am less likely to be effective or to generate my desired outcomes. Even though this fear propels me to work harder, I know that unless I deal with it, I will be caught in a slog of clouded wasteful effort.
In all of my years as an entrepreneur and coach, I have learned that fear represents the #1 threat to optimal performance and the #1 thing that prevents me from entering flow state. Fear impairs our capacity for adaptive learning and creativity. It makes us brittle and more likely to collapse in the face of setbacks when what’s really needed is creative persistence.
For a lot of us, the tendency is to persist in our work with fear hanging around in the background silently wreaking havoc on our focus, productivity, creativity, and well-being. Most people simply try to push through, but there are alternative ways to deal with fear when it arises. Converting your fear into prayer and surrendering it to a higher power is just one way of managing and even eliminating it.
By following the simple steps outlined in this guide, you can learn how to convert fear into the type of faith that allows you to begin to plan and execute in a more relaxed, open, and effective way.
Step 1: Take a Step Back. Notice and Acknowledge Your Fears
The first step in converting fear into faith is to become aware of when you are feeling fearful or anxious. This may seem obvious, but it's important to take the time to acknowledge and identify the root of your fears. Are you worried about making the same mistake again? Are you concerned about experiencing an undesired outcome? Take the time to articulate your fears and understand what they are really about. Meditation and journaling come in handy at this step.
Step 2: Convert Your Fears into a Prayer
Once you have identified your fears, the next step is to convert them into a prayer. This means taking the time to ask for the outcomes you want and surrendering the fear to a higher power. Recognize that many of the things you desire are beyond your control, and even with the things you can control, you still need help. Ask for the "inputs" that you need to produce your desired outcomes. This might include asking for the information, the way of being, the character traits, and the emotional states that are necessary to achieve your goals.
Step 3: Express Gratitude
After you have asked for the help you need and surrendered your fears to a higher power, the next step is to express gratitude as if your needs and desires have already been fulfilled. This can help to shift your focus from fear and doubt to hope and positivity. Take the time to thank the higher powe for the fulfillment of your ask. You can further enhance this step by creating a rich picture of what it would look and feel like for your needs and desires to be fulfilled, and allow yourself to feel the emotions that come with this picture.
Step 4: Take the Next “Right” Action
Once you finish step three, take a moment to notice how this might have shifted your mindset about what needs to happen next. It may be different from what you assumed needed to happen when you were hijacked by fear. Remember, you don’t always have to have the whole plan figured out before you act. All you need to do is identify the next thing that feels right from where you’re standing and to do it. The path will reveal itself as you walk it.
Beware of Spiritual Bypass
It’s worth mentioning that although this is a useful mental habit to cultivate, it does come with one warning sign, which is that of spiritual bypass. This is when you use spirituality and spiritual practices to avoid confronting emotions or “truths” about yourself and your life that feel threatening or overwhelming.
Ultimately, the goal is for you to be able to turn towards and confront your fears rather than suppressing or dissociating from them. In addition, it is certainly possible for you to try on a process like this and feel like it does nothing to reduce or eliminate the fear in your body. If this is the case, that might be a sign that you have an emotional wound that must be addressed, and that some deeper trauma healing work is needed.
Conclusion
By following these simple steps, you can learn how to convert fear into faith. It may take some time and effort to develop this practice, but the long-term benefits are well worth it. Remember, you are not alone in your struggles with fear, doubt, and anxiety. We all have them, and they are the number one culprit for taking us out of the game and robbing us of peace and life satisfaction. The good news is that there are proven ways to effectively deal with them. All it takes is a little intention to learn and apply these strategies and the next right step.
Get Help Dealing With Your Fears
If you want to learn more tools to effectively cope with the difficult emotions that are negatively impacting your performance and growth, I invite you to click on this link to book a free introductory call with me. We’ll get to the bottom of what’s really going on and clarify what needs to happen to deal with it.
Myles Morgan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Myles Morgan is a trained therapist who chose a path of leadership and entrepreneurship rather than working in a clinical setting. Over the last seven years, he has co-founded and managed three education-based startups while slowly building his own life coaching practice. Now in his fifth year of practice, his signature coaching program, The Fulfillment Accelerator, specializes in helping founders, leaders, and creatives clear the deepest mental and emotional blocks that are preventing them from enjoying fulfillment as they actualize their dreams. As a writer, speaker, and teacher, much of the perspective he has to offer lives at the intersection between positive psychology, deep healing, and creative practice.
