The word fear has quite a lot of acronym and all of these acronyms were defined based on the different ways people perceive or see fear as, though they mostly similar in some ways. But then two of these acronyms stand out for me because it is what I've seen in myself. The first acronym of FEAR stands for false evidence appearing real and the second is forget everything and run! Lol. As funny as the last acronym may sound, that's what we are most times tempted to chose especially when things get harder.
I've always had things or people that I fear a lot, I can stay at a place without breathing when I'm around some humans or animals because I feel if I do that they will just bounce on me and that's what I fear, anything or anyone bouncing on me and hurting me. I have so many fears but then the moment I make up my mind to face them, I get to realize that they were only false things appearing like something that is or was real.
I remember my first time I was asked to teach a group of women on a particular topic, in my mind I was wishing the ground should open up and swallow me but that didn't happen so I had two options, accept it or say no. I knew if I said no it would mean I'm not learning at all as they've always been asking me to do that but I have just kept on giving excuses, lol. But that day I just had to face my fears of standing in front of people by accepting that assignment.
When I got home that day, the major thing I did was go and study a lot about what I wanted to teach because I believe that when we know what to teach, facing the crowd becomes less harder and challenging. Well, that wasn't it completely but then it did help to an extent. At some point I just wished I had taken an excuse like every other time because I was still having this silly fear in me that I might not do well. It remained that way until the D day finally came.
I made sure to arrive early and get relaxed before the class started. Well, too say the long and short of everything, I did well because everyone just kept wishing I'd continue teaching and not stop. I was shaking so much in my head and I was praying that it wasn't obvious on the outside. Well, I faced my fear of standing in the front of people to speak and that was how I started confronting that fear of mine. I got to know that it was all in my head and nothing else.
I do still get that fear but then I quickly encourage myself to face it because I know that it's not going g kill me so why be so afraid of it! I got better at teaching people without being scared and I now even volunteer sometimes to be a teacher on days when there is no one to take that position. It has been a great learning and developing opportunity for me and I'm happy I took the first step 🥰.
This is my response the Hivelearners topic on "FACING MY FEAR".