Fear has a life cycle of its own.  Fear fades away with increased attention.  Shine the light on fear and its power will gradually diminish.

Fear is ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’, an acronym that suggests limited perspectives.  Assess the level of real danger and focus on risk, not the amount of fear.  Practice love and compassion for yourself as you find the courage to take decisive action.  

In a calm and supportive environment, identify situations that you typically avoid.  Put these situations in order of difficulty and begin tackling easier challenges first.  Journal strategies, experiments and results for building confidence and healthier perspectives.  In addition, enlist the support of a friend, relative or professional to assist you in the process.  As you take on challenges one by one, celebrate your successes and remember that setbacks are a normal part of the process.  Remain committed to your goal and one day, this fear will become a thing of the past.

For example, if you have a fear of dogs, identify specific challenges you have including your beliefs about dogs and your capacity to cope.  Actively research your assumptions and discuss your findings  with others.  Be open to hearing other perspectives and ways of building confidence around dogs.  You may decide to learn more about the different personalities of certain breeds and even befriend specific ones.  Knowledge and awareness are liberating allies in the face of fear.  Trust that you can and will overcome any fear you put your mind to.  Freedom to live life more fully is your reward!