Tips to Help You Move Past Fear

Inspirational Quote Jen Haugen

Contemplating? Overthinking? Stuck in analysis paralysis? Want to move past fear? This post is for you.

When I think about the road ahead, I can freeze up in fear. I overthink and contemplate and dwell. But the opposite is true too. I can choose to be free and live by faith.

10 years ago exactly, I was struggling, with something major. It began with a thought one day. And I couldn’t get past it. It gripped me because I had two young children, had been married 8 years, and I was terrified I would die before I turned 30. As I inched closer to that number 30, it was all I could think about.

I was in and out the doctor’s office. I was in and out of the ER. My heart was unsettled and couldn’t calm down. It was a time in my life that had such a hold on me, that I struggled for a long time.

In those anxious moments, all I could think of was the future. And how scary that looked. I was paralyzed with fear.

Until one day.

Inspirational Quote Jen Haugen

I’m often asked how I got through it.  And all I can say is God.

One day I was washing dishes, I turned on the under-the-counter radio and I felt God’s presence in that moment. It was like warmth coming from the radio. The words were radiating directly to my ears and to my heart.

You see, I hadn’t previously known about Christian radio stations, let alone even knowing it was there. But I started listening. And it spoke right to my core. While doctors had told me I needed to trust and not worry, to have faith and not fear, I hadn’t really gotten the message until the radio blared it to me.

I was missing the present because I was thinking of the future.

This morning I read these words from my Jesus Calling devotional:

“You wonder how you possibly can find your way through the maze. Then you remember the One who is with you always, holding you by your right hand. As you look at the path ahead, you notice a peaceful fog has settled over it, obscuring your view. You can only see a few steps in front of you, so turn your attention more fully to Me and begin to enjoy my Presence.”

As it’s been super foggy here all week, I am grateful for the reminder the fog brings:

  • I don’t have to know what’s ahead to secure my joy.
  • I don’t need to see the future in order to have faith.
  • I can live with zest right here and right now.
  • I can take small steps in the direction I am aiming for as action is the opposite of fear.

It’s all about kicking out fear and focusing instead on:

  • Faith – in ourselves, in the process and the journey, and in God
  • Essentials – focusing on  priorities to prevent distraction
  • Action – fear hates action so acting on something is better than contemplating, be brave
  • Resilience – there are no failures, only something to gain

This acronym comes from Judi Holler, a self-described Fear Slayer.

Fear paralyzes, action propels.

Keep moving forward with those small steps today and let the fog settle in.

Here are some of my favorite fear slayers:

  • If you love music, try Sirius XM, channel 63, The Message.
  • If you love listening to podcasts, try Joel Osteen.
  • If you love reading, try a daily devotional to help with focus.
  • If you love video, try Joyce Meyer Everyday Matters.
  • If you love writing, keep a journal.
  • And if you love talking, a trusted spouse or friend helps tremendously too!

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