How to Turn FEAR into FUEL | Jack Canfield

Hi, I'm Jack Canfield, and today I want to talk to you about how you can transform your fear into fuel and use it to power through any challenges that you might encounter in your life. Now, as a reminder, please make sure to click the subscribe button and the Bell icon to get notifications of when I release new videos. You know, as humans, we are programmed to feel fear, and that's actually a good thing, as it has played a crucial role in our survival as a species. Fear is a psychological defense against potential threats to our well being, which is great when it comes to stopping us from doing things like jumping off a cliff without a rope or trying to pet a wild tiger. But fear can also stop us from doing things that will improve our lives, such as embracing appropriate risks or stepping into the unknown and taking on new challenges. That's when fear becomes a problem, when it holds you back from showing up as your best self and becoming the person you were always meant to be. For example, have you ever thought, I would love to be able to have that experience, but I'm just not brave enough? Or if I weren't afraid of this possible negative outcome, I could make my dreams happen? If so, you're definitely not alone. Fear is a normal, unavoidable part of our life. But when you let everyday decisions, both big and small, be controlled by your fears, you're never going to be able to take a risk and make the big changes that you need to take in order to achieve your most heartfelt goals and make your dreams come true. You know, Nelson Mandela once said, may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. In the past, fear has kept us safe from very real, deadly dangers that could have quickly wiped us out. But these days, most of the things that scare us don't present any real danger at all. I'm talking about the fear of taking on those new challenges in your personal and professional life. Like asking that person out on a date, or taking on new responsibilities at work, or speaking your mind and telling people what you really think or what you really want, or quitting that unfulfilling job and starting the business or career based on your dreams. None of these things offer any sort of physical danger to us. The worst that can happen is someone might say no to you, or you might find yourself in a situation where you feel a little uncomfortable. But even in experiencing those rejections or failures, you're sure to acquire valuable knowledge that will help you succeed in the future. The real threat to your well being, ironically, is not taking those risks. Because when you don't step outside of your comfort zone and take on new challenges and you do not grow as a person. And the disappointment and the discontent you will feel in not living up to.

Your full potential will cause far more damage to you in the long run.

Than the risks you fear to take.

So today I would like to give.

You six tips on how to use.

Your fear to fuel your progress in.

The direction of your dreams. First off, I want to teach you an anagram that psychologists often use when talking about fear. It's F E A R and that.

Stands for fantasized experiences appearing real. And this is really useful to remember because most of our fears are self.

Created fantasies about the worst case scenario.

The most negative outcome that could result if we take that risk, quit that job, switch careers midstream, or decide to travel full time or ask someone out on a date. Instead of considering all of the positive possible outcomes, we immediately focus on the worst and we allow that to stop us from taking action. But when you acknowledge that your fear is based on a fantasy that you yourself have created in your own mind, you can create new positive images of success and replace your negative images and your negative self talk with positive images and positive statements. Statements like, I can survive anything that happens to me and I'm far more likely to succeed than I am to fail. Now the second thing I'd like you to remember is that being brave doesn't mean being without fear. It means feeling the fear and taking action anyway. So know that your fear is perfectly normal and is in fact a necessary requirement for you to be brave. It's also a sign that you are being presented with an opportunity to learn and to grow. And every time you lean into those opportunities, you will gain skills and experience. Experience that will bring you closer to your dreams. And the more you lean into them, the more successes you'll experience and the easier it will be for you to take on even bigger risks and opportunities for growth in your future. Now my third tip is to do visualization work that allows you to replace the worst case scenario in your head with a more positive vision that reflects your hopes, your dreams and your plans. Now take for instance, if flying terrifies you, focus on visualizing the amazing vacation you're going to experience when you arrive at your destination, not the fiery, bitter explosion that, statistically speaking, is extremely unlikely to ever happen. Now, the more you focus on the positive outcome, the more you increase your likelihood of achieving it and the less stressed and anxious you'll be in the process. I also encourage you to Pay attention to how fear shows up in your body. Notice the physical sensations you experience when you're afraid and consciously replace them with a different sensation. For example, fear often manifests as tension in your hands, your neck, your jaw. Now think about the thing that scares you, and then spend some time taking slow, deep breaths and intentionally relaxing the parts of your body that are tight. Relax your jaw, relax your shoulders, relax your hands. Let your breathing deepen. Now, doing a mindful movement practice such as yoga or Tai Chi is also great for this. Or just even going for a mindful walk in nature can help a lot. Now my next step to transform your fear into fuel is to remember all of the times you have been brave before and have taken big risks and you succeeded. Remember passing your driver's license? How about graduating from high school or taking a chance and asking your crush to the prom and being thrilled when they said yes? Or how about the time you applied for that job you really wanted and you got it, or you traveled, worked, or studied abroad in a different country? You're still the same person who accomplished those wins. You are still entirely capable of stepping outside of your comfort zone and succeeding in anything you do. Remember that whenever you're dealing with something that scares you. Write down all of the successes you've ever experienced in your life and remember you are that same person who did those things. And use that knowledge to propel yourself into taking action even though you're afraid. And have the faith that it will work out now because your own experience has shown you over and over again that it will. As I often say to people, you have survived everything that has ever happened to you, or you wouldn't be here now. My next piece of advice is to use your fear to shine a light on the actions you need to take to create the life you want. Because the things that scare you are most likely the things you most need to do in order to become the kind of person who is capable of creating the life you want. So if you notice that public speaking terrifies you, perhaps that's a sign that.

You should enroll in a Toastmasters program.

Or take our Train the Trainer program so that you can become more comfortable speaking to a large group. Or if the idea of managing a team of people or starting a new business scares you, lean into that and explore it further to see what that means. Now, chances are, the reason why it scares you is because deep down you know it's a powerful stepping stone that will ultimately lead you to your dreams. So I encourage you to spend more time leaning into your fears, even the small ones, and experiment with feeling the fear and taking action anyway. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you don't let your own uncertainties hold you back. Now I'd like to hear your thoughts after watching this video. Have you ever taken action despite your fear? What was the outcome? What actions can you take to overcome any fears you might currently be dealing with? I hope you'll feel inspired to please leave a comment below with your answer and I'd love to read what you have to say. So thank you for watching and remember, nothing in your life will change for the better until you do. Now if you found this video helpful, make make sure you like it, share it with a friend who may need it and subscribe to my channel for more videos like this one and for some additional resources on how to turn fear into fuel, visit my website@jackcampfield.com thanks again for watching.