Fear as an Asset in Troubled Times

Barbara is a manager at a direct mail company that has seen business decline since the Anthrax attacks.

She is concerned about her job because the company may have to close, and she worries about her future since direct mail is all she has ever known.

In these uncertain times, she will not be able to walk into another job and she feels fearful.

As a result, her thoughts can't keep quiet; "How am I going to survive?" "What will happen to me if I lose my job?" "Where will I end up?" Barbara's anxiety was so overwhelming it took on a life of its own.

Most of us have experienced the paralyzing effects of fear. Now, with the onset of war, terrorism and an economic downturn, fear threatens to permeate further and deeper into the collective psyche, and into our daily lives, bringing turmoil and disrupting our normal beliefs and assumptions.

Contrary to common belief, fear is more than a useless, unpleasant emotion. It is a vital life force that can be used, controlled and channeled constructively. In the end, we can do more with fear than merely "handle it." With the right attitude, we can use fear to constructively bring about positive growth in our lives. Fear Is Natural

The first thing to accept is that fear is a natural part of life. Fear is so basic it runs not just through human emotions but the entire animal kingdom. Therefore, we need to consider that if fear is so pervasive, it must have a purpose.

Every aspect of life has a positive use - even those things we do not enjoy. Fear has a positive use arising from its origins as a natural instinct for self-preservation. This can also be seen in animal behavior. When frightened, animals tend to run away or fight for survival, especially when cornered.

Like most animals, our Sympathetic Nervous System is concerned with many of our responses, especially with the Flight, Fright or Fight response. When we encounter a particularly stressful event, the Sympathetic Nervous System prepares our bodies to meet the crisis.

When the event is over, our bodies are supposed to return to a normal so that we can move on. However, in practice, things do not always turn out that way, usually because we do not take immediate action to internally resolve the stressful situation - either out of choice or through circumstance.

So, we perpetuate fear and stress by worrying about the stressful event or consequences that followed - playing out different scenarios in our minds --increasing stress and becoming more and more debilitated. Detach, Gain Clarity, Take Action

To avoid becoming paralyzed by fear, it is important to recognize that fear acts as a support mechanism to focus our attention on challenges at hand.

Although intense focus is useful when dealing with immediate danger, it does not help in situations that require objectivity and a clear strategy. In these cases, you may not need to fight for your life - it may be more appropriate to be able to step back and assess the situation carefully.

When you detach and gain clarity, you recognize your fear's origins and plan your next moves. If someone is about to attack you, your fear is about the need to save yourself. But, if your fear is that you will not survive without your present job, it is based in the mind.

To detach and gain clarity from fear, here are some questions to ask: "Why do I feel afraid?" "Are there other reasons I am not acknowledging?" "Is there a factual basis for my reasons?" "How can I get a better, more objective picture of the true situation and my fears?"

The next step is to take action. It is tempting to wait until you have all questions answered before embarking on a course of action. However, when we are dealing with a life crisis, events move quickly and procrastination means that we end up being overtaken by fear.

Taking action dispels fear since it confirms that we can cope with the situation. Taking action generates a momentum of its own. And, allied with the sense of inner confidence that action facilitates, taking action can open new opportunities while keeping fear at bay. USING FEAR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Once we are equipped to handle and control fear, we are in a position to use fear to our advantage.

In its positive sense, fear can drive us; it can spur us to become bigger and better, wiser and more tolerant, more awake and therefore more responsive. Once we learn to put fear in proper perspective, the easier it is to see fear as a useful catalyst for change.

Fear hits us mostly as a result of a major crisis in our lives, whether through an accident, a traumatic illness or the sudden job loss. Such a crisis will often signify a big turning point. How we respond to the crisis will influence whether this turning point will turn out to be a tragedy, a nightmare or a triumphant statement of our human spirit.

Many have used the traumatic experience of losing their job as a springboard into a brand-new and successful career. Although their initial experience was filled with fear, they focused on the opportunities that they could gain, took the risk of branching into unknown and new fields, and just kept going.

We can see how this works by imagining a job interview. Normally, using fear to our advantage keeps an interviewee sharp and alert to every opportunity that presents itself. If the interview becomes challenging, for example, they will not panic, but will be quick to respond.

Fear is natural, but should not overwhelm us. By learning to handle our fear and by using it to look for opportunities, we can take the same gap that other successful people have also taken in their lives. It all depends on our ability to channel this vital force constructively, and turn it to our advantage.

By Theun Mares