Self-Improvement

Finding Peace in a Time of Fear

The world and our lives are constantly changing. I have found that long durations of peace and happiness are often followed by times of fear. Almost like a cycle, my life throws me into good and bad times on a regular basis.

Although we do our best to avoid negative situations, the unpredictable nature of life often puts us in these circumstances. And we can either run from it or face it head-on.

Some of the most fearful moments in my life have assisted my growth and have built my self-confidence. All the moments in my life where I experienced fear taught me something new, but some of them were pointless.

I am sure we have all had times where we have been fearful of a situation only to go through it and realise we were fine. We often underestimate our ability to tackle challenges and come out better than before.

When we fail to put confidence in ourselves and are driven by fear, we can become a version of ourselves we hate. Fear has often driven me to be overcautious, pessimistic and ungrateful.

In times of fear, it is natural to be overcautious. But in doing so, we reduce the assurance we have in our own ability. It is also common to feel pessimistic about the situation. After all, when we are scared, we are faced with an obstacle we do not believe we will overcome. Therefore, it is a rational conclusion to think of the worst.

Finally, becoming ungrateful is something that our circumstances drive us to be. As highlighted, my times of fear often come after times of peace and hope. So, when hard times came, I was low and angry at life whilst failing to acknowledge the good times of the past.

Despite fear bringing complexities, it also brings with it an opportunity. It allows us to practice traits like resilience and faith in our own ability. Finally, one of the most rewarding things fearful situations give us is a story that can be used to strengthen others.

To capitalise on what fear brings us, we must first find peace within our fear. It is essential to have the ability to see past the present moment and internalise what our fear is telling us. In doing so, we can use our times of fear to become better individuals.

So, here are the three steps I take when I am faced with fear to find peace.

Step 1: Humble Ourselves

In the midst of fear, we are often driven to self-pity. We are quick to feel sorry for ourselves because we believe our circumstances have been unfair to us. In doing so, we wished that we were never in our current situation and start to look for ways out of it.

Not to mention, we tend to become more aware of the lives of others when we are in moments of hardship and fear. We believe that everyone is living better lives than us and that our lives are unfair.

The problem with self-pity is that it drives us to pessimistic thinking and a loss of hope. We believe that our situation is unsolvable and that we will be left constantly running from our fearful obstacles.

Whether it be asking a woman out on a date or worrying that your sick relative will not make it, our fearful obstacles drive us to self-pity. And we start to forget about any glimpse of optimism in the situation.

History has shown us that hope defeats fear. Hope is a very powerful thing, and when placed in the wrong solution, it can drive humans to do awful things. Many of the most horrific leaders of history, Hitler and Stalin, came about in times of fear. And people’s hope was put in them.

So, hope is a driving force. However, we need to step away from self-pity and move more towards a position of optimism if we seek to achieve it. And this can be done by simply humbling ourselves.

In humbling ourselves, we are reminded that life owes us nothing. And the unpredictable nature of life is what makes it worth living in the first place. We should be grateful for what we have and remind ourselves of the joyous moments in our lives.

Remembering that life owes me nothing keeps me at peace throughout my ups and downs. It is when we believe we are entitled to a great life that we fall into self-pity when things do not go to plan.

So, practice humility to find hope in your life. Learning to be happy with little will remind you of the little things you have in your life that can equip you to overcome the fearful situation.

Step 2: Meditate on the Things We Once Wanted

In times of fear, we are more likely to lose sight of who we are. When I look back at my fearful situations, I did not have a sense of my character and strengths.

It is essential to remember that our circumstances do not need to define who we are. Although others may have a simplistic view of us, our internal awareness is what truly makes us.

We are often stronger than our fears, and our past lives show this. I am sure if you were to look back on your life, you would find a number of times where you have conquered your own fears.

Funny enough, the big achievements of our lives often look smaller as life moves further away from that time. I can remember when I was a child and conquering some of my fears then. And they seem small now, but they were big then.

There are many things we have in our lives today that were once a dream or goal. And there would have been many obstacles and potentially times of fear you needed to face to get there.

If those achievements now seem small in your life, it is a sign that you have grown. And taking time to meditate on those things reminds us of how far we have come and our ability to potentially keep going.

Step 3: Create a Reasonable Plan

Finally, fear can drive us to create plans that are overcautious. In overcautious planning, we predict the worst and try our best to mitigate all of our risks. The problem with these plans is that they take a lot of time and often add more stress to the situation.

In times of fear, it is easy to overestimate our risks. Our circumstances seem much bigger than we are, and we believe we will not get through. However, completing the first two steps should give you a clearer mind at step 3.

So, create an action plan with your personal strengths in mind. Playing to your strengths will give you the confidence that you can overcome your fears. The plan to conquer the fear should be simple and not add any extra burden. If anything, it should add some relief.

In Closing

Fear brings us an opportunity to grow and find a new level within ourselves. By following this three-step process, you can build plans to find peace in the greatest fears of your life.

So, next time you come across a fearful situation in your life, focus on finding peace in the hardship. In doing so, you can become the person you need to be to rise above the fear your face.

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