Stop Hiding: How to Transform Fear from Liability to Greatest Asset

The Signal and the Noise

What is fear? Fear is a fundamental and powerful emotion that is embedded into every living creature on this earth. It is designed to be triggered by the perception of immediate danger or harm. Fear not only creates an emotional response, but a physiological and hormonal response as well. Once the brain perceives that it needs to be fearful, the amygdala triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol. Pupils dilate, heart rate and blood pressure increase, breathing quickens, and blood flow is redirected to vital organs.
All these natural processes happen autonomously in order to give us the best chance of survival. While fear may be a crucial and necessary part of life, how many times has it hindered progress or stopped it altogether? How many times has fear squashed an idea before it can even be attempted? Fear was designed to be a means of life preservation, not to be a source of life hindering aspirations.

Build Your Resilience Asset: A 5 Step Transformation

Fear is an unavoidable part of life. How we react to it is what sets us apart. I do not mean how well we handle life threatening situations. I mean all the other scenarios we face that our body tells us we should be falsely afraid. Making a career change, moving to an unfamiliar city, trying something new, anything that pushes us out of our self-created comfort zone, provokes fear and anxiety. Oftentimes, this flood of emotion kills ambition and motivation. You have the power to take control of fear and transform it into a usable asset.


First ask, am I in any potential danger? Most likely, the answer is no. Then, make a list of your fears. Be specific and provide as much detail as possible. For example, if I was wanting to move to a larger city, but the idea seemed scary and too overwhelming, I would  start by breaking it down as below.

1. No support system close.

2. Packing and unpacking is exhausting.

3. Unfamiliarity is uncomfortable.

4. Resources could be hard to find.

Third, list what can be done to alleviate those fears.

1. Become familiar with the area. (Join local hotspots and social media groups.)

2. Locate essential resources. (Find food, gas, clothing, medical faciliteis and pharmacies.)

3. Make new friends. (Plan a visit to the.)

4. Higher moving help.

Now that you have a list of fears and ideas to manage them, take each one and create realistic trackable goals.

1. Plan a weekend visit.

2. Find the local grocery store.

3. Go to a local hotspot.

4. Find one pharmacy.

5. Locate the hospital.

6. Try one local cuisine.

7. Make one new friend.

8. Get quotes from three moving companies.

Each goal that is accomplished builds confidence and fuels ambition.

Then, the crucial question. What do you have to lose? Make a list just like before but this time, list what you could potentially lose by taking the leap. Finally, make a list of what you could potentially gain. This is the final step in the process. More often than not we will find that the potential gain far out weighs the potential loss.

By putting each and every fear on paper it helps properly analyze them and essentially reduces them to manageable problems. Oftentimes, when the concern is in black and white, the enormity shrinks before our eyes, giving us strength and wisdom. Once control is established the perception of fear is extinguished and failure seems unlikely. Without failure, what is there to fear?

Fear is Information: The Power of Auditing Your Concerns

Fear is the pure central emotion intended to fuel the flight or fight mode. A compound reaction that affects every part of the body. The issue is, sometimes our brain confuses change or unfamiliarity for a survival situation triggering irrelevant information to be relayed. It is important to recognize these dumps of false information and see it for what it is; raw and unfiltered sentimental reaction. A reaction that can be observed, analyzed and regulated. If moderation is not established the body is left to do what it does naturally; react. Which more often than not, leads to inaction.

By taking a hard, honest look at our fears we can take a proactive approach to regaining control and peace of mind. Breaking each one into micro-concerns shifts the situation from an overwhelming mess to a clear organized action plan. I use the example of moving to a new city, but this technique can be applied for any non-life threatening situation. Audit your fear. Transform your life.

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Author’s Note

I thought of my children several times while writing this article. I can look back on my life and see countless times that fear froze me in place. Missed experiences, friendships, jobs and opportunities all because I was afraid. I never want that for my children. I want them to be bold, brave and courageous. I want them to feel the unsettling swirls in their bellies, their hands and knees shaking and choose to leap anyways. I want them to look fear in the face and laugh at it. We are our children’s first example. Through us they learn how to make decisions, regulate emotions and problem solve. If they see us use fear as an excuse instead of seeing it for what it is, a normal reaction, we risk fostering a dynamic mindset dependent on complacency. A dangerous mindset that impedes intellectual emotional analytical and systematic growth. The ability to evaluate and control one’s own fear is rarely talked about but one of the most important skills a child could learn.