How to defeat fear and outwit the 6 basic fears
Only one more enemy is left with indecision and doubt possibly completely dealt with. And that is fear, to succeed in life one must acquire adequate knowledge on how to defeat fear. Fear is the foundation on which procrastination, timidity, indecision, self-reliance, initiative, discouragement, self-control, lack of ambition, and enthusiasm are built.
The six ghosts of fear
To defeat any enemy, we must know its name, its habits, and where it lives. I aim to shine a light and expose the cause of the six basic fears to give me and you the upper hand against this formidable opponent. And hopefully, with this knowledge, we can outwit the six basic fears. Oh, my bad, the six basic fears are: — fear of POVERTY, fear of CRITICISM, fear of ILL HEALTH, fear of LOSS OF THE LOVE OF SOMEONE, fear of OLD AGE, and fear of DEATH. These are by far the most important fears in life, all other fears are of minor importance.
Note to self, be very careful when dealing with fear, it is nothing but an amalgamation of ghosts with the sole purpose of robbing you of your creativity and drive. A figment of nothingness that is conjured up in the subconscious, making it extremely hard to detect. These ghosts are the results of the uncontrolled imagination of people. They are so powerful and dangerous, so much so that they can take on physical bodies.
Therefore, perform a thorough and deep introspection to ensure that you are not possessed by any of fear’s ghosts. Analyze yourself carefully as you read along and after reading through each subheading determine if that particular fear has latched itself onto you.
The fear of Poverty
It is very simple, to attain riches one must refuse to accept all circumstances that lead to poverty. But remember that the fear of poverty is a state of mind, nothing more and nothing less. A state of mind that is powerful enough to cripple anyone’s chances in any undertaking. This fear is at the top of the list because it is by far the most destructive of the six and the hardest to master. Sometimes we might think that we are not affected by fear but as I said before because it is deeply rooted in your subconscious it is sometimes hard to detect. But here is a list of symptoms to look out for:
Indifference — expressed through the willingness to accept poverty and a lack of ambition.
Indecision — letting others think for you.
Doubt — making excuses for your failures.
Worry — expressed through spending more than you earn, letting yourself go, and a heavy reliance on alcohol and narcotics.
Over-caution — always seeking the negatives in any situation.
Procrastination — planning to do last year’s tasks tomorrow.
Expecting poverty instead of demanding riches — surrounding yourself with people who lament their poverty-stricken state instead of seeking the company of those who desire and acquire riches.
"This fear paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control an impossibility. It takes the charm from one’s personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the will-power into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory and invites failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness."
Napoleon Hill — Think and Grow Rich
The fear of criticism
This fear can take many forms and often those forms are trivial and petty. No one knows why or when this fear came about but one thing is for sure, those who partake in it, desperately try to fall in line lest someone criticizes them. Parents cause irreparable damage to their children by criticizing them due to the false and naïve belief that it will help make the child a better person. This fear takes away people’s self-reliance, robs initiative, limits individuality, and destroys the power of imagination. Here are the symptoms of the fear of criticism:
Self-consciousness — usually expressed through nervousness.
Lack of poise — poor posture of the body and lack of voice control.
Personality — unable to express opinions definitively, a lack of charm and firmness of decisions.
Inferiority complex — boasting of imaginary achievements and imitating others in dress, behavior, and speech.
Extravagance — spending beyond one’s means, the habit of trying to keep up with the Kardashians.
Lack of initiative — lack of confidence in one’s own ideas, deceit in both deeds and words.
Lack of ambition — being easily influenced by others, and physical and mental laziness.
“Men and women have been burned at the stake for daring to express disbelief in ghosts. It is no wonder we have inherited a consciousness which makes us fear criticism. The time was, and not so far in the past, when criticism carried severe punishments — it still does in some countries.”
Napoleon Hill — Think and Grow Rich
The fear of ill health
The fear of ill health is closely associated with the fear of death. This is because very little is known of the world beyond the dreaded slumber. It is also made worse because of the terrible perception implanted in people’s minds about what may take place if they were to ever fall ill or die. Failure in business and love can also feed into the fear of ill health. Here are the symptoms of the fear of ill health:
Auto-suggestion — negatively using auto-suggestion and always expecting to find the symptoms of all kinds of diseases.
Hypochondria — imagining, talking, and concentrating the mind on diseases until a nervous breakdown occurs.
Exercise — the fear of ill health makes people avoid outdoor activities and exercise which in turn results in becoming overweight.
Susceptibility — when one fears ill health, it creates in them favorable conditions for the disease to manifest itself since the body’s natural resistance has broken down.
Self-coddling — using imaginary illness as a lure for sympathy or as the reason to cover up plain laziness.
Intemperance — using alcohol and narcotics to deal with pain and continuously reading about illnesses and worrying about being struck by them.
“It has been shown most convincingly that the fear of disease, even where there is not the slightest cause for fear, often produces the physical symptoms of the disease feared.”
Napolean Hill — Think and Grow Rich
The fear of loss of love
This fear is the most painful of all the six fears because it causes more damage to the body and mind than any of the other fears (it can literally lead to insanity). This fear presents itself in men and women with different faces. Back in the stone ages men would take their fellow men’s women by brute force. Today the tactics have become more sophisticated. Sweet, melodic words accompanied by Benjamins, a Louis Vuitton shoe, a Chanel bag, a Versace dress, and 4 wheels will do the job just fine. Women on the other hand have learned through thousands of years of experience that men are polygamous by nature and should not be trusted with rivals. Here are the symptoms of the fear of loss of love:
Jealousy — having faith in no one and always being suspicious of others without reason.
Fault finding — finding faults with those around you for no reason or at the slightest provocation.
Gambling — resorting to stealing, gambling, and cheating to provide for loved ones because of the misconception that love can be bought.
The fear of old age
The are two main sources that cause the fear of old age. One is that old age may bring with it poverty. That one might lose the trust of others and end up getting their worldly goods and possessions ceased. Two is the fear of the unknown, the fire and brimstone that awaits those that go beyond the world of the living. Ill health is also a contributing factor to this fear since it is a common feature of old age. Furthermore, the loss of sex appeal also makes the list as one of the causes of fear of old age. Lastly is the fear of loss of freedom and independence. Here are the symptoms of the fear of old age:
Slowing down and developing an inferiority complex as the age of maturity approaches.
Dressing to appear much younger.
The fear of death
Some consider this to be the cruelest of the basic fears. This is closely tied to the fact that for millions of years the question of “who we are?” and “where we come from?” has gone unanswered. No one knows where we come from and where we are going and this is the root of all the turmoil. The world of religion has offered us two options, ETERNITY or ETERNAL HELL FIRE. It is the idea of eternal hellfire that shoots the fear of death off the roof. Here are the symptoms of fear of death:
Continuously thinking about dying instead of living.
The six basic causes of fear must be eliminated because that is the only way to succeed in life. How to defeat fear starts with taking control of your mind. Fear is a state of mind that is deeply rooted within the subconscious. Therefore, you must start by digging deeper and changing your habits, thoughts, and ideals from the subconscious level.