Conquering Fear

Conquering Fear
By: Emily Larrabee     

     With all the tests and midterms coming up this week, it is easy to feel fearful for what is to come. There are also a few career fairs occurring this week and the fear of not having a job or internship scares us as students. For me, I believe fear is my biggest setback when it comes to succeeding in life. I know that many other students feel the same way.  Whether it be at your job or in your personal life, fear is something that seems to hold me back the most. I thought of some benefits of facing your fears and why you should never let your fears get in the way. 

1.   Facing your fears expands your limits.

If you constantly stay within your comfort zone, then you will never grow. By going to new places or applying for that job that you think you would really excel in, you are expanding your horizons. When you face your fears head on, you will be amazed to see what could happen with your life. 

2.   Once fears are faced, confidence soon follows.

By stepping out of our comfort zone, this allows confidence to arise. Confidence is something to be respected when applying for jobs and in everyday life. Of course there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Make sure you are careful and do not come off as arrogant. When your confidence peaks, then it makes it harder for fear to come back and control your life. 

3.   You won’t know until you try. 

One summer, I decided to go to London, England by myself. Even though I was scared out of my mind, it was the most unbelievable experience I have ever been on. I loved every minute I was there and I was thankful that I forced myself to do it. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. My advice is that if an opportunity comes up, take it. Do not let fear get in the way of an amazing opportunity, whether it be a job, a study abroad program, or an internship. You never know what you will enjoy!

     Like I said earlier, fear is my biggest setback in my personal life and professional life, but it is easy to put aside. Once you realize that you can do something, nothing will be able to stop you. Sounds cliche I know, but it is true! To end, I would like to share the famous quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”. Get out there and face your fears!