The challenge of fear isn't always the same. Depending on what it is we want, or want to achieve, there are many types of fear we may experience: fear of commitment, of poverty, of rejection or of change, fear of success and fear of failure, just to name a few.

In order to move ourselves forward and succeed at whatever it is we desire, we must be able to identify what it is we are afraid of. Then we must challenge any fear that prevents us from actualizing our goals.

The key word is challenge. Challenge can mean both a problem we struggle with ("Climbing was a challenge"), or it can mean to confront an enemy ("The knight challenged the giant to a battle"). It is both active and passive. To overcome the challenge of fear, we need to challenge it. We cannot allow doubt and anxiety to keep us from living our dreams—we must fight against the negative. With each terrifying experience we need to confront our fears, whatever they may be. They are holding us back from achieving our aspirations.

The first step in controlling fear is identifying what scares us. This is difficult—most of us deny these anxieties so we don't have to face them. But this refusal to challenge fear omits the opportunity to grow; it is a form of self-sabotage, for it makes an individual weaker, not stronger. Strength is the byproduct of positive behavior, of work and effort. Fleeing from fears is negative behavior, for nothing is gained.

Instead of unconsciously acting upon our thoughts and feelings, we need to be consciously aware of our perceptions. Having clarity of thought, clarity of purpose, and clarity of intent brings forth awareness. Once we can perceive our reality clearly, we can control it. With each step you take to challenge fear, you are empowering yourself that much more.

Thought waves are energy, and this energy controls our emotional state. Successfully people have developed the ability to manage their emotional state, and in doing so they have become the masters of their own destiny. They don't allow anxiety to block the energy they require to manifest their goals, dreams and hearts' desires. Top leaders still feel fear, everyone does, but they manage to channel it into a positive, not a negative influence. For a successful individual, fear is a motivator that spurs them to break through barriers.

We are the ones who are ultimately responsible for our lives. We each posses the inner qualities, resources, and potential we need the make the desired changes we want in our lives and the lives of those around us. By developing the ability to gain conscious awareness of what frightens us, we can change our perspective. Rather than fleeing from terror, we will rise to its challenge. In doing so, we allow ourselves to move forward on the path to greater and lasting success.