Positive Attitude Information

Fearing the Future: I am what I Fear!


When we were children, we were fearless. We would stick our hands in the fire, chew on the beetle bugs, and eat that dirt. But, over time, we learned those things that we should not do through experience and from "parental voices" --- those baseless fears passed down through the generations. Later in life, we learned that fire burns, beetle bugs are "yucky" and dirt is not nutritious. But, we also learned all of the things that our parents learned, including their fears and phobias, and integrated those lessons into our own "belief systems."

Our belief systems are the basis of our personalities and the foundations of our directions in life --- they are the rules by which we live. In essence, our fears, desires, and values define each of us. We are what we believe --- including our fears. However, consider what your current fears are that prevent you from moving forward. Realize that these fears are of things that we were taught and those things that we learned on our own --- in the past. Fear is based on past experiences and not on those things that we have not yet encountered. With that, we only fear what we've "already experienced." The "fear of the unknown" is doubt in the future based on the circumstances that we've encountered in the past.

Since we are what we believe, we can change who we are by enhancing our belief systems. To overcome your fears, you must first determine if the fear is based on something learned through experience or taught to us by parental voices. Fears that are taught or passed down to us can be more prominent than those we learn from personal experiences because we don't know why we fear such things. We can overcome fears through rational thinking if we're able to learn why such situations occurred that caused the fear. But, if we don't know the basis, we won't look further because we fear what we "might" find.

If you don't know why you have certain fears and cannot rationalize them, they need to be eliminated. Baseless fears are unreal and create a false blockage and a reason to give up, surrender, and rest in a comfort zone. Determine which fears are baseless and replace them with practical experiences. Realistic fears based on actual experiences can be rationalized and resolved. These resolutions can then be integrated into our lives to learn lessons and move forward in life.

Once we are able to define and diffuse our core fears, we can then rely on the fear of returning to our prior state or not succeeding in our life to drive us forward. You can then devise a plan of action to reach your Vision and focus on desires of success and fulfillment instead of hiding in the dark from the empty fears of our "parental voices."

About The Author

Edward B. Toupin is an author, life-strategy coach, counselor, Reiki Master, technical writer, and PhD Candidate living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors books, articles, and screenplays on topics ranging from career success through life organization and fulfillment. Check out some of his recent print and electronic books as well as his articles covering various life-changing topics!

For more information, e-mail Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his site at http://www.make-life-great.com or http://www.toupin.com!

Copyright (c) 2004 Edward B. Toupin


MORE RESOURCES:

Johnson leads Tigers with positive attitude
Kennebec Journal, ME - 1 hour ago
BY GARY HAWKINS BY GARY HAWKINS It's been a long time since the Gardiner Area High School boys soccer team finished over .500. That changed this season when ...


Company leaders must project a positive attitude
Milwaukee Small Business Times, WI - 10 hours ago
By Harry S. Dennis, III , for SBT Years ago (circa 1991), an acquaintance of mine who was a Wisconsin-based Chicago business owner and won a significant ...


Courage and positive attitude, with aid of anti-retrovirals, can ...
The Herald Eastern Cape, South Africa - 20 hours ago
“God has given me my life back,” says a woman who is a living example of how guts, a heightened sense of responsibility and a positive attitude can overcome ...


Looking for a Success Definition? It’s All about Attitude
NJBIZ, NJ - 5 hours ago
And I’m certain that you have studied or been told that a positive attitude is the key to success. Not quite. Attitude is defined as the way you dedicate ...


Rules to live by
Sourdough Sentinel, AK - 1 hour ago
Having a positive attitude is more of a state of mind than a rule, but maintaining it is essential because a negative attitude can lead to reduced ...


Musician tells high school students positive attitude is a key to ...
Daily Gleaner, Canada - Nov 29, 2008
... Using his life experience as an example, Mitch Dorge advised students at Minto Memorial High School to face life and issues with a positive attitude. ...


Austin White's performance, positive attitude lift Spartans
Detroit Free Press, United States - Nov 15, 2008
The Livonia Stevenson free safety scooped up a fumble at the Canton 35-yard line and began running like mad toward the end zone. ...


Keeping a positive attitude / North Ogden man with muscular ...
StandardNet, Utah - Nov 23, 2008
Berube is able to maintain a positive attitude around co-workers, friends and family, although he admits he can get discouraged when he is alone. ...


Mick Hager column: Business leaders need to be positive
Green Bay Press Gazette, WI - 12 hours ago
Displaying a positive attitude and a genuine sense of caring and concern for employees; when times are tough, the last thing employers need are people ...


Healthy Living: Positive attitude may help prevent cancer in ...
KSBY, CA - Nov 25, 2008
Duke University researchers wanted to pinpoint risk factors for those over 65. Not surprisingly, tobacco use and lack of exercise were associated with ...

Positive-Attitude - Google News

home | site map
© 2006