Fear can be a healthy emotion. When a person is completely fearless, such as a person who is experiencing a manic episode, they can gamble away the family's life savings or risk their life and honor in foolish behavior. There is a natural aspect of fear that protects us from disaster. On the other hand, fear can keep us from success. While natural caution is a good thing, there is also a place for taking a risk, especially when you are seeking to gain success.



Some common fears are those that involve other people. Extreme shyness, for example, is really much like a fear of other people. Shy people might be afraid that others will reject them or dislike them. Another people fear that many people have is that of public speaking. Oddly, many people who are not afraid in a one-on-one people situation can be paralyzed by the thought of speaking before a group. In fact, public speaking often ranks first on surveys of common fears people have.

Being bold and brave around people, whether one-on-one or before a group, is a necessary element of success. If you have people fears to overcome, keep this in mind. In many ways, a person who is shy is actually a better candidate for success than the bold extrovert. Why is this so? It is because the shy person often has more of an awareness and even respect for others than the extrovert.

We've all met the pushy salesman type of person, who seems to have absolutely no respect for us as an individual but only wants what he or she can get from us. If you have a respectful fear of people, you won't become this type of businessperson! However, the flip side of this is that your fear might be rooted in an unrealistically negative opinion of yourself.

Think about your fear of people. Is it because you respect them or because you don't have a very good view of yourself? Here is a nugget of wisdom that can even be found in the Bible. Don't compare yourself with others. The Good Book says that when we compare ourselves among ourselves we are not wise. Everyone has good points and bad points. Instead of comparing yourself with someone else, try comparing yourself to who you were yesterday.

The other fear that can hinder your success is the fear to take a risk. This can be a fear of failure or a fear of the unknown. Maybe you're even a little afraid of success! Are those risky events as big a risk as not taking a chance on success? Think about it. Doing nothing is risky, too. If you really want to be a success and reach your deepest goals and dreams, you will have to step out and take action someday. In fact, today is the day.

Risk taking gets easier with practice. You might have to give yourself a big shove to take the first scary step toward success, but the next step shouldn't be quite so scary. If it is, just keep stepping. Many people have overcome their fears through positive thought processes and facing those fears head-on. Don't let fear keep you from success.