A couple of years ago, I asked a question on our Facebook page: “What’s holding you back from success?” The top answer was fear!

Isn’t it interesting that so many people are standing in their own way? Because this was such a hot issue, let’s take a minute to talk about fear… and help you move past it.

And this issue goes further than just you! The upcoming generations are experiencing more anxiety than ever before. As psychologist Robert Leahy points out: “The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s.”

These statistics are literally crazy! So why are we all so afraid? Fear is a biological function that tells your brain when you’re in physical danger. But your brain often reacts the same way to emotional danger, as well.

Say you got picked last for kickball in grade school and you went home feeling pretty hurt. Or you failed a test you thought you were going to ace. Your body remembers that and the next time you are faced with a similar circumstance, your brain is already preparing for impending hurt or trying to avoid it altogether.

But there’s something I learned many years ago, and that is, what you feed will flourish and what you neglect will die.

So when you (along with the media, your friends, and your family) feed your fear, guess what grows? Fear. The kind of fear that keeps you from doing the things you’re supposed to do in life. The kind of fear that affects your ability to make decisions and reach your goals. The kind of fear that kills your confidence and keeps you from taking risks and moving forward in your life.

I want you to think about a time when fear kept you from doing something. It could be as simple as not going on a roller coaster because you were scared, or not meeting new friends or going on a date because you were intimidated, or maybe even not taking your dream job because you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to do it.

The bottom line is, as a man thinks, so is he. If you let fear continue to speak to you, you will focus on those thoughts. And what you think, you speak; what you speak, you believe; and what you believe, you will receive.

With the ups and downs of the economy, fear on the television, Internet bullying, and all the new sources to feed your fear in today’s world, it is no wonder our younger generations are less and less confident. Stop feeding your fears and break that generational inheritance you have passed, or you will pass, on to your kids. And more importantly, allow yourself to live the life you were meant to live!

Leave me your comments on today’s message on our social media sites and remember to Like and Share it with others. Everyone deals with fear! Let’s help spread encouragement, instead.

In great faith,

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