AFTER yesterday's post, I got to thinking about the reason we don't follow our passions, that four letter F word we can't stand to believe we're capable of having ourselves.

Fear petrifies us in so many areas of our life, but we know deep down fear is only experience deep. After we try something once or twice, we get over our fear. There were times in our life when we were afraid of walking, riding a bike or being alone in the dark. Public speaking, raising a child and following your passions are no different.

My biggest fears have always contradicted my passions. I've always wanted children and I've always wanted to use public speaking to further my goals, yet I was deathly afraid of both. The experience of having my first daughter got me over the first fear, and joining my local Toastmasters has gradually helped me get over the second. The only thing that will completely get me over it is doing it.

I don't know if I always believed in myself or if my university's Learn By Doing motto helped me overcome my fears, but like walking, the only way we learned was to do it. The most important step in succeeding in your dreams is to decide to follow them in the first place.

Whatever your fears are, they will subside and in time, turn in to the fuel needed to persevere through the hard times. It's up to you to face the fear in the first place, knowing you will get over it just like you have with so many fears in your past.

Being afraid of the dark is humorous, and one day, you can laugh about being afraid of your current fears just like your past ones. Fear is just a word. If you need to, break it down and change its meaning. Ultimately, I attack fear in the following way:

F - Focus: By focusing on my fear, I understand the reasons I'm afraid in the first place and how best to overcome them.
E - Endurance: There may come a point when overcoming the fear no longer looks possible. In these times, I convince myself I have the strength to keep going.
A - Adapt: Sometimes, the first thing you try to beat your fear becomes a fear itself. It's o.k. to take baby steps and change your game plan. Keep moving forward.
R - Repetition: Some fears require more effort than others. The key for me is to keep repeating the things that make it easier to face the fear. In time, I forget I was afraid in the first place.

DAD TALK

* What fears do you still have?
* What fears have you overcome?
* What have you done in the past to overcome your fears?