Fears, everyone, has them. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But fear is just a mental obstacle that keeps us from doing what we want to do. In fact, fear keeps you from leading an extraordinary life. Imagine if you didn’t have a fear of speaking in public. What would that do to your social life? Imagine if you did not have a fear of talking to strangers, you would have lots of friends, right?

I've spent my whole life afraid of snakes. It doesn't matter how big or how small they are; They scare me. I love to hike, Travel and be outdoors. But unfortunately for me, They are everywhere.
Sand, Water, Grass, Trees. There is no way to escape the snakes!
Often I run into them while hiking, And I am paralyzed with fear. They are harmless gopher snakes, Yet I feel like I'm going to pee my pants.
This fear has deeply affected my life, I don't want to stay trapped inside my house! I need to get over it.

Fear is your enemy, and to conquer it, you need to understand it. Here’s how fear works.

Back in the day when our ancestors lived in caves, fear played a crucial role. Our ancestors learned to fear their environment. The fear helped them keep away from unknown plants which might be poisonous. It also kept them safe from wild animals.
However, due to evolutionary quirks, we have adopted these fears and applied them in a setting that is not quite suitable for such concerns.

We use the same evolutionary fear in our everyday life. The fear keeps us from making new friends; it keeps us from pursuing our dreams, and it keeps us from making decisions that would otherwise benefit our lives.

Face Your Fear

The best way to overcome fear is to confront it head on. You need to face your fear. And by facing your fear, we mean acknowledging you have a fear. If you have a fear of speaking in public, accept it.
Once you take it, think of how you can overcome that fear. Look for other people who overcame a similar fear and asked them how they did it. Armed with the new knowledge, start applying it and you will undoubtedly overcome your fear.

The Past May Not Happen again!

The second way to overcome your fear is by learning that previous failures do not guarantee future failures. You see, most of your fears started after a nasty experience in your past. For instance, you may have tried to speak in front of your junior class and failed miserably.
Now, every time you think about talking in public, your brain remembers your failure grade school and tells you to stop to avoid a similar embarrassment.

You Can Do This!

But you can get over this. You can think like Edison, the inventor of the light bulb. Before Edison invented the light bulb, he failed a thousand times. But that did not stop him. His persistence and determination made him secure a place in history.

Always look at past failures as stepping stones. Look at them as lessons, and learn from them. Past failures teach you how not to do something. Learn from them, and you will overcome your fears.

When you see your fear, Breathe, Tell yourself it can't hurt you. Especially if it's something not realistic, Like a harmless spider.

If possible, Give yourself gradual exposure to it!
I stare at snakes from behind the glass at zoos, aquariums and pet stores. I try to stay close to the glass even while the snake moves. I feel like this has helped my tolerance.