What are your fears? Fear of failure? Fear of success?

What have your fears cost you in terms of relationships, health, 
career, money, and lost opportunities? 

Have they kept you from achieving success and financial freedom?


The dictionary says fear is the anticipation of danger, a belief 
that something negative or painful will happen as a result of 
some possible future action. It is nothing more than this. It is 
nothing less. 'Anticipation' means that the danger MAY exist in 
the future. It does not exist in the reality of NOW.

Scientists tell us that our brains evolved in such a way that one 
of their primary functions was to protect us and warn us of 
dangerous situations. That was useful when we had to keep an eye 
open for the neighborhood sabertooth tiger, but we're a little 
safer now.

The protection mechanism, however, still keeps busy by warning us 
against lesser dangers. My personal experience and yours, I 
imagine, suggests that the real 'pain' comes when you look back 
at opportunities lost, and what you missed out on because of 
fear-based choices you made at the time.

We can’t eliminate fear but we can learn to overcome it. By that 
I mean we can learn to deal with it and not become disabled by 
it. Successful people experience fear. But they are able to deal 
with it in such a way that it doesn't disable them and keep them 
from taking the appropriate action.

The first step is awareness. If you look at your fear objectively 
it becomes less threatening. When you see it as something you can 
overcome, you can CHOOSE to overcome it!

Let's talk about the fear of success, or rather the beliefs some 
people have about success. If you ask people if they want more 
money and the resulting wealth and financial freedom, they 
invariably say 'Yes'. If you ask them what they are doing to get 
it, most aren't doing anything at all. Their main plan is to wait 
for their next raise, or an inheritance, or to win the lotto. 
That isn't much of a plan.


What's stopping them? What exactly are they afraid of? Let's look 
at three of the common fears (beliefs) that stop people from 
succeeding and illuminate them:

1.'My friends won't like me if I make more money than they do.' 
   – It’s true that jealousy can be a factor. What someone 
   thinks about you isn't as important as what you think about 
   yourself. Stated another way, if they won't be happy for you 
   when you succeed, are they really your friends? You have the 
   choice to find people and relationships that are supportive 
   of your goals and your successes. Do so.

2. 'The rich are all greedy crooks. I don’t want to be like 
   them.' - In fact, a lot of rich people are generous, decent, 
   law abiding people. But what someone else does or doesn't do 
   isn't the issue. We always have the free will to CHOOSE how 
   WE are going to act. We can choose to pursue success, 
   financial freedom and happiness ethically and with integrity. 
   What will you choose?

3. 'I'll have to pay more taxes.' - Perhaps. There are a  
   number of legitimate tax reduction strategies available to 
   individuals. As for me, when I have used all the LEGAL 
   advantages to which I am entitled, and I still have to pay 
   more taxes, I know I have made a lot more money. Please! 
   Give me more problems like that!


These are just three of the common beliefs (fears) that keep 
people from succeeding. Do any of them sound familiar? Are those 
fears justified? I don't believe so. Can you choose to overcome 
them? I believe you can.

Financial freedom, success and happiness await you when you do. 
What are you afraid of?
 

Paul Nadrowski, CPA focuses on the psychology of wealth and 
success. He provides practical tools and strategies to help you 
achieve financial freedom and happiness with integrity. He writes
the Wealthzine Financial Freedom Ezine. For further information, 
go to http://www.Megabundance.com