What Do You Fear the Most?

"The thing I fear most is fear."

- Michel de Montaigne

Fear is something we all have, whether it be a fear of heights, a fear of death, or a fear that somewhere, somehow a duck is watching you. Fear spares no one. Every single person on this earth has a fear. No one is safe from fear's grasp. You cannot avoid it. You cannot escape it. All you can do is to either succumb to fear, or face it and overcome it.

Or you can give it the finger, spit it in the face and then "run like hell".
(Image courtesy of Very Demotivational)

Just a few moments ago, I read the blog of John Maxwell. One of his blog posts was on fear. He said that fear was "universal" and that it "crosses all boundaries of race, culture, religion and generation". This is true, yet we see soldiers on the frontlines with seemingly no fear, even when they're in the face of death. That is because, as Maxwell said it, they have overcome their fear. However, no one overcomes their fear just by lying down and thinking about it. We have to do something to overcome it. John Maxwell listed some methods on how you can overcome your fear. Here they are.

1. Discover the foundation of fear.
2. Admit your fears.
3. Accept the frailty and the brevity of life.
4. Accept fear as the price of progress.
5. Develop a burning desire that overcomes fear.
6. Focus on what you can control.
7. Focus on today.
8. Do it now.

At first I didn't understand what these meant. However, as I continued to read the post, I became more...enlightened, so to speak. His words made perfect sense. "The only way to deal with fear is to face it and overcome it." This short yet meaningful statement speaks volumes. The application of this statement in real life is very evident. You can see this in soldiers, policemen, paramedics, firemen, even the window washers that work in high-rise buildings. They work in dangerous situations yet they don't seem to hesitate to charge into the face of danger. You can clearly see how they apply the steps given by Maxwell.


The more I read Maxwell's post the more I see why my teacher admires him. He is an excellent writer, no doubt about that. This post inspired me to do the same, to overcome my fears. For me, fear is merely a small obstacle to the path of success. Once overcome, this road will be easier to traverse. He who overcomes his fears can be deemed successful.