The first step towards overcoming fear is to understand where your fear comes from. A certain amount of meditation and self-evaluation is critical. One way of identifying your fear is being objective and true to yourself. Try to examine the beliefs that you have that lead you to a certain fear. What you need to understand is the origin of the fear. Does the fear come from something someone has told you? Does it come due to some of your past experiences?

Once you know the root cause, you can begin trying to work towards overcoming the specific fear. Did you nearly drown as a child that's why you're scared of water? Did you experience painful ridicule when you tried to perform publicly? Are you afraid to do what you've always wanted because you've seen other people fail? Fears like these nip newly formed dreams at the bud. They eat at people's self-confidence, breaking it down slowly but painfully. By knowing the whats and whys of your fear, you can plan ways to overcome it in a more effective and comfortable manner.

Start Small

Anybody can be overwhelmed by big things. If you must overcome your fear, do so in little steps. Your mind is more likely to accept an object of fear if you introduce it slowly but with certainty. Do not take more than you can handle comfortably. By experiencing small successes, you build inner strength and will.

For example, if you are afraid of making presentations to a group of people and feel that you will not be appreciated by them, try making an attempt. If you come out with flying colours, you'll know that your fears were baseless. Even if you don't perform well, you'll know that you need to work on your presentation skills so that you can do better next time. In either case, you will have taken the first step required in the process of overcoming fear.

Be Positive

Saying that you should face your fears is obviously far easier than actually doing it. But what can be extremely useful until the time you are ready to take that first step is "positive self-talk."

Be your own motivator and tell yourself that you have it in you to do it. Look at the positive aspects of your life - and there are bound to be many - and make yourself believe that you can overcome whatever hurdles that you are facing. Overcoming fear will be much easier if you are determined to defeat it.

Have A Support Group

It's important that you have people who can give you support and encouragement just when you need them most. People who you trust can make you feel more comfortable knowing that you are 'backed up'.

Choose a group of people whose opinions you value and those who can encourage you to go bolder. Stay away from grouches or pessimists who will do more harm than good.

Don't Try To Be Perfect

The idea of being perfect has many positive effects on people's lives but conversely, it has also affected many who have mistakenly thought that perfection was the only way to go. By keeping your expectations real, you don't feel the need to be flawless. Fear is part of being human and once you've accepted that it will be part of your life, you'll be able to handle it better.

Don't Feed Fearful Thoughts

Fears have a way of growing uncontrollably when you obsess about them. By thinking and worrying about how they can affect you, you make them seem bigger than they really are.

Try to think things through in a rational manner and keep your thoughts trained on opportunities instead. If you're afraid of selling, for example, don't focus on the rejections you might receive but on the possibilities of making a good sale.

Learn To Relax

Fear can get to you more easily if you're anxious and hyped. By being calm and relaxed, you are better able to assess the situation and create a plan of action. By thinking straight, you train your mind to focus on what needs to be done and not on how fearful you feel.

Learn To Say No and Let Go

Change is always disconcerting. It pulls us away from our comfort zone and forces us to tread on uncharted territory. But by learning to say 'no' to your fears and letting go, you are taking full responsibility of your actions, thereby preventing fear from affecting your decisions directly.

Have Fun

Taking things too seriously will only increase your worries and make them bigger than they really are. By focusing on the fun aspect of a task or activity, you push away the worries and negative thoughts that would otherwise stop you from performing at your best.

Be Patient

Fear will come back from time to time, but be patient. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to keep it tame. Make it easy on your psyche to fight it off and overcome it by convincing yourself that you have better things to do than being scared.

And Finally ...

If you assess your fears in an honest and straightforward manner, you will find that a huge percentage of them are unfounded and simply untrue. By simply acknowledging that fears will appear in your life sporadically, you are already taking the step to recognize your strengths to handle them.

Accept your fears but don't let them get the better of you. This is a key life skill. Overcoming them is the secret to living your life fully and realizing your hidden potential.