Change Your Thoughts And Overcome Your Fears

We are the makers of our thoughts.  We control what our mind thinks.  Our thoughts determine our beliefs.  These beliefs are what we hold true about ourselves.  These beliefs are the stories we tell ourselves in certain situations.  And these stories can hold us back from going after our dreams.

Think about some things that you have done in your life that made you a bit afraid.  Whether it’s speaking in front of a group, putting yourself out there on social media, meeting someone new, etc.

We all have these stories that we tell ourselves that psych us out, cause sweaty palms, and butterflies in our stomach.  These moments terrify us because maybe we will look ridiculous or screw up what we were trying to say.  We are afraid of being judged and what other people think of us.

I want to give you a process to help you change your thoughts which will in turn change the story you are telling yourself.

The first step in this process is to acknowledge what exactly the fear is.  Acknowledge what fear you are holding to be true.  For example, the fear of technology failing, being judged by others, etc.

The next step is to realize what that fear means about you.  It could mean that I am a failure, I am not cut out for this, I am stupid, my message is unimportant, etc.

Let’s take an example.  We have the thought that I am not good enough.  This is a belief or story we tell ourselves.  If we were to prove that belief or story right, what does that mean about us?  The thought of we are not good enough becomes I am a failure, I will never amount to anything, etc.

We create our own interpretation of the thought and that becomes the story we tell ourselves.  This keeps us stuck in the fear.

Lastly, think about the times when you were confident to take action.  After doing something repeatedly a few times you start to build your confidence. You’re completing the task without a fail.

I want to explain that this is not exactly what happens.

In the beginning you have a bunch of stories in your head about what could happen in the future.  Our mind tries to be the crystal ball, determining the outcome ahead of time.  It’s always the worst case situation that we get stuck on.  We focus on someone making fun of us, tripping over our own feet, stumbling over our own words, etc.

After completing the task and surviving you realize that these stories you have been telling yourself are just made up fears.  Nobody laughed at you, you’re still standing, and most of all you didn’t die from rejection.

What really happened in this situation is not that you built up your confidence.  Instead, you changed your belief or story you have been telling yourself.  You realized that the fears you were so caught up in never actually became a reality. You survived!

Soon you realize you can do this.  I am a success and you become excited to do the activity you were once fearful of. Your comfort zone has expanded.

Think about how much more could you accomplish if you changed your beliefs and stories.  Rather than leading with fear, hold beliefs of the best possible outcome.

When you change your thoughts you change your beliefs.  Your life expands and anything is possible.

My challenge for you today is acknowledge your thoughts.  Determine what story you are telling yourself.  Download the PDF worksheet to dive deeper.

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