“When faced with our fears (which happens several times a day for most of us), we have learned to avoid, deny, or muscle through them. To access our courage, we must uncover, accept, and embrace our fears.

And the only way to embrace our fears is to recognize them for what they are. That is, we need to accept them as misperceptions that have been birthed out of experiences from the past or as part of the challenge of growing.

Fear built into our human operating system. It is a useful emotion that can, however, go seriously awry.

You might have noticed that trying to ignore your fears doesn’t usually work. Try as you may, in times of stress or heartache they will appear again unless they are embraced. You can eat over your fears, drink, shop, stay busy, do more, complain, gossip, and on and on—all in the pursuit of numbing out and ignoring the barrier that stands between you and your courage.

After accepting that you have your particular brand of fears and acknowledging the cost of letting them direct your life, you begin to get some breathing room in which you can observe them more clearly and with greater understanding. You begin to embrace your fears rather than being ruled by them.

You might have heard the adage “What you resist persists.” Understanding this statement is the key to embracing your fears. Resisting, judging, and hating your fears only allows them to have a tighter grip.

When you ignore, judge, or hide them, you are actually handing over your power to them. The way to reclaim this power is not to vanquish your fears but to open your heart to the wounded part of yourself—your little Scaredy Cat.

I love and nurture this Scaredy Cat part of myself. I don’t try to make it go away or be anything other than what it is—a part of me that carries my fear.

When I fail to acknowledge and have compassion for my fearful self, I wind up in a downward spiral of negativity. When I acknowledge my fear and stay open to the gifts that it holds, I have access to the confidence and courage that I need to be authentically who I am.

Although suppressed fear is the culprit behind terrible suffering, when fear is embraced it acts as the fuel that propels you into a world of courage and confidence. Befriended fear is a worthy ally urging you to move forward in the areas of your life where you are unfulfilled or emotionally challenged.

Let’s look to our sacred wounds, the ones that are clothed in fear. There we will find the key to clearing our minds and reviving our warrior hearts. And we will find ourselves further along the road to meeting the confidence and courage that will transform our lives.”

Excerpt From: Debbie Ford & Wayne W. Dyer. “Courage.”