The world is a wonderful place, and life itself is majestic. Still, in the face of cruelty and hardship, this often slips our mind and we retract into a state of fear and hopelessness. We’re well aware that this isn’t the right path, not the way life is to be lived, but we often lack coping mechanisms that push us towards a place of strength and fearlessness. The hectic and stressful lives most of us lead also serve to hinder our spiritual growth.

These mundane and stressful tasks often make it almost impossible to get in touch with ourselves and focus on the things that truly matter. We go through life just counting the days, reluctant to take the plunge and make a change, first from within, and subsequently all around us. It is high time we made a shift in perspective. It’s time to let go of everything that’s deterring you from being your best, most lionhearted self, so don’t delay your personal growth and the transformation. Let yourself be empowered, it’s not as difficult as it may seem; you simply need to sit down and let yourself be washed over with the willingness to try.

OPEN YOUR HEART

Most of us crave great love in our life, but more often than not fear of rejection and abandonment hold us down. Now, the most frequent piece of advice we receive when going through the fear of being intimate and letting love into our lives is that we simply need to accept that rejection and abandonment are a part of life and that we shouldn’t let the past negative experiences hold us back from diving into something new.

However, Peter Michaelson has a different, more in-depth approach to this issue. He states that sometimes, we as humans, tend to be become subconsciously addicted to rejection, and in order to ‘cover it up,’ we run away from relationships. In order to be truly free and embrace love without fear, you need to acknowledge your unwilling addiction to pain, face it and then release it. There is no point in running from ourselves. Acknowledgement is the path to an open heart.

LOOK INSIDE

One of the most effective and both mentally and physically empowering practice you can adopt is meditation. Not only have numerous studies concluded that meditation can help get rid of negative emotions, fear, stress, anxiety and even depression, thus making you immensely stronger, but it provides deep insight into your core. It allows you to become one with yourself and not only let go of the bad but remember all the good. It is a powerful tool that can take you to a place of self-love and appreciation, so take the time to reconnect with yourself.

SAY IT TO YOURSELF

Sit down, look in the mirror and every single morning tell yourself at least four things you love about yourself. Love is fear’s greatest enemy, so once you begin this practice of self-love out loud, your fears and self-doubt will gradually but steadily become to decline. Think of all the times you were brave, loving, kind, and note down every positive trait you can think of. You will be amazed with the power of positive self-affirmation.

THE PERMANENT REMINDER

Putting pen to paper and noting down all the good things is an amazing tool for building confidence, but you can take it a step further and make a permanent reminder of the struggle you’ve gone through and the strength that is within you. A great deal of people who have gone through terrible things or suffered loss choose to commemorate the struggle and their win over the situation with a tattoo.

You can pick a single word, a quote or even a shape that symbolizes your fearlessness and new-found confidence. In Australia, for instance, people choose to express their lives’ journeys with amazing custom Japanese tattoos. So, all you need to do is find something with a profound sentimental meaning and make your body a constant reminder of the incredible strength you possess.

COME FACE TO FACE WITH IT

Whatever your particular fear is, you will never beat it until you come face to face with it. Whether you’re afraid of conflict, spiders, heights, small spaces – it doesn’t matter what the fear in question is, the approach is the same. If you feel like there is something you need to resolve with a loved one, a superior or a colleague at work, don’t delay it.

Most of the scenarios we build in our heads by letting an unresolved situation become stale only make us even more insecure. The reality is never as bad as your imaginary scenario, so stand tall and expose yourself. Once you’re done with one of your fears, you will feel immensely empowered and ready to tackle the next one.

APPROVAL COMES FROM WITHIN

Stop waiting for other people to praise you, validate you. Most of us feel that if our efforts aren’t acknowledged, we must be doing something wrong. Not everyone is going to like you, so let go of that fear immediately. You don’t need everyone to like you, because truly interesting people are never universally liked. Stop fearing you’re not good enough or loved enough – the people who are worth being in your life are already there, so don’t even bother with winning others.

SMALL THINGS FOR BIG CHANGES

It’s incredible how a few small physical changes can change not only our own but other people’s perception of us. For instance, try working on your posture. Stand tall, learn the body language techniques that convey confidence and lack of fear. Once you change your body language, a switch will be flicked and you will feel the outer change spark an inner one. When you stand and look fearless, soon enough you’ll become fearless.

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