7 Motivational Quotes to Help You Face Your Fears
Fear is something that lurks in the shadows of our minds, something that haunts us, paralyzes us.
Like anybody else, I know what fear feels like. When I’m anxious about something, my stomach does somersaults and my throat gets tight. My mind gets tangled, muddled – the worry, the dread, stalks my thoughts.
What are you afraid of? Have you ever really thought about them – the things that distract you, that hold you back? Are they worth fearing? Are they really worth the angst and stress ?
Probably not. Because worry never really fixes anything, you know? Like author Leo Buscaglia once said, “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” Preach.
I know it easier said than done to just stop. I mean, you’re talking to the queen of overthinking. But maybe these seven motivational quotes about fear – about understanding it and facing it – can help us both.
Let’s face our fears together. Let’s show ’em whose boss. Ready? I am.
1. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
2. “Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” – Napoleon Hill
3. “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” – Judy Blume
4. “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” – Norman Vincent Peale
5. “Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them … they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.” – Orison Swett Marden
6. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fear as a way of life can have some nasty side effects. Fortunately, there are some actions you can take to keep fear from controlling how you think. Learn three ways to fight back.
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A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.
Jessica Krampe is the digital managing editor of SUCCESS.com. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, she’s worked for publications in the Midwest, the Big Apple, Sweet Home Alabama and, now, the Lone Star State.