Dealing with fear (6)

Do you ever fantasize about solutions to problems you fear may or will come your way? Ironically, when you do, what started out as an unfounded fear can turn into a real problem because you expended energy on wasteful thinking instead of productive action. Joe Tye, author of Never Fear, Never Quit, said, “Wishful thinking is the lock that fear puts on the prison gate. Fear lets you indulge yourself, for a while, in flights of wishful thinking. Somehow, you think, something will happen to make the problems go away. By the time you wake up, it’s too late. What you feared has happened, and fear has defeated you. The only way to escape from the prison of fear is action. You cannot wish your way out, you cannot wait your way out. You can only work your way out. Every time you escape the prison of fear, you grow stronger.” Fear has no benefits and no upside. It either pushes you in the wrong direction by producing nervous energy that causes you to do your worst in new situations, or it saps your energy as you fight its paralyzing effects. Psychologist Randall B. Hamrock observed, “In twenty years [of practice] I’ve talked with, tested, and given vocational counsel to at least 10,000 young men and women. One characteristic that almost all had was the tendency to sell themselves short.” Don’t let fear rob you of your potential. Don’t let it stop you from pursuing your destiny. Believe God for great things, then step out and attempt to do them in His strength. If you do, you’ll succeed. Guaranteed.