{"id":98669,"date":"2023-04-11T14:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T18:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=98669"},"modified":"2023-04-17T11:26:17","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T15:26:17","slug":"how-to-confront-your-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-confront-your-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Confront Your Fears & Accept Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you want to live to your fullest potential? How do you confront your fears<\/a> to do so?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your fears may be holding you back<\/a> in life, but you can overcome them. The Way of the SEAL<\/em> by Mark Divine guides you through confronting your fears so you can reach your potential<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how to confront your fears and be the person you’re meant to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Confront Your Fear and Unleash Your Potential<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Divine says that to tap your inner power and operate at your peak, you have to step out of your comfort zone<\/a> and learn how to confront your fears. Your comfort zone makes you feel safe but is actually a prison. It allows you to live in a state of fear of the unknown. This makes you reluctant to try new things and prevents you from growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only way to escape the comfort prison is to seek out and do things you\u2019re scared of. When you push your limits and find you can conquer challenges you didn\u2019t think you could, your understanding of yourself expands<\/strong>\u2014leading to greater confidence and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The 10X Rule<\/em><\/a>, Grant Cardone argues that you shouldn\u2019t allow fear to sap your energies, but rather inspire you to action<\/a>. Fear tells you that you\u2019re on the right track. When you push yourself<\/a> out of your comfort zone you work toward change that helps you grow. The more you give into fear and worry about what could go wrong, the more powerful your fearful feelings become\u2014leading to more apprehension<\/strong>. To avoid this, confront your fears immediately by taking action.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing a terrifying challenge taught an executive who Divine took on a rappelling trip that he could confront and survive his worst fears. Midway down a 100-foot cliff in Mexico, Divine directed the executive\u2014who had a fear of heights\u2014to take things \u201cone step at a time<\/a>.\u201d But as the executive descended he panicked, flipped upside down, and started screaming for help. Divine shouted at him to stop screaming and focus by closing his eyes and breathing deeply. The executive did as instructed, regained control, and safely reached the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Studies reveal that some people are naturally more willing to confront their fears and take risks that others find terrifying. These folks have a gene variant<\/a> that makes their brains experience thrills as even more<\/em> exciting when they\u2019re unexpected. This preference for novelty (or the unexpected) and risk and reward appears to be hardwired and linked, but not fixed: Other studies suggest that risk-taking can be reduced by mimicking dopamine signals in the brain or exposing risk takers to poor outcomes associated with their risky behavior.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To step out of your comfort zone and face your fears<\/a>, Devine says you should welcome new challenges: <\/p>\n\n\n\n