MANAGING FEAR: The Last Frontier

It has been about managing fear for some time now. We have talked about making your goal a superior to your fear, choosing faith over fear and beating fear with focus. Thank you for staying with us through it all and it is our hope that you learnt something.

We at noeses believe there is one more fundamental way of managing fear. There is a last frontier that requires our attention. This last frontier is something I believe we are all familiar with. It’s not anything strange; it’s a very popular idea that we often hate to admit. It’s that which keeps us up and doing; it’s that which keeps us out of bed and it’s that which gives us a hold over fear. What could this last frontier be? Don’t worry at all. I’m going to tell you what that last frontier is. I’m going to show you how you can use it to overcome fear. Am I really going to show you that? No! What I’m really going to do is to tell you how you have used it to overcome fear in your own life several times so that you can repeat that every time. Let’s go!

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest human to ever kick the football. He has won an unprecedented 5 ballon d’ors and broken several records that stood for several years.

Usain Bolt is the fastest man and arguably the greatest track and field athlete the world has ever seen. He has broken several track and field records.

Floyd Money Mayweather is considered one of the greatest to grace the sports of boxing. He equaled Rocky Marciano’s record of 49:0(49 professional fights 49 wins). He calls himself TBE (The Best Ever).

These people are one of the greatest athletes in the world. They have proved it several times with their numbers. Most importantly, they have approached their respective disciplines with fearless action. If they succumbed to fear, they wouldn’t be one of the greatest. So how did they do it? Let’s see what they have to say:

You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it- Lionel Messi

Messi at training

My greatest fear as a professional athlete is the fear of losing. It’s always there, the only way you get over it is by focusing and by working harder and training harder than anyone else- Usain Bolt

Bolt and teammate, Yohan at training

I’m always prepared, physically and mentally. We have a remarkable game plan- Floyd Maywewather

Mayweather at training

What do you see as common in the statements made by these legends? Do you see what I see? I see hard work; I see training; I see sacrifice and I see strategy. Messi sacrifices and works hard to be a great footballer. Most people say Messi is just talented. They say Messi’s genius is a divine gift. That’s true but it’s also true Messi trains extremely hard in order to stay relevant in these changing times and also to do what he does with all confidence. Messi in an interview said that during training sessions, he actually learns how to dribble three to four players at a time and how to pass the ball behind defenders. Can you believe that? Even Messi practices. Usain Bolt specifically stated that one way to overcome fear is by working harder and training harder. Floyd Mayweather prepares himself physically and mentally before every fight.

Would you agree that some of your fears are caused by ill preparedness? Maybe you got that excellent grade in that math test because you were very prepared. Maybe when you messed up the last time during that interview, you were afraid because you were not prepared. I admit that there are times that I walked into an exam room a little afraid because of ill preparedness. I believe that majority of confidence that we accumulate walking into any endeavor is due to how prepared we think we are. Don’t you feel more confident if you have successfully solved and understood a lot of questions before taking a math test? When asked how he overcomes fear, Tom Waite, stunt double for Nicolas Cage in the movie Trespass had this to say: “familiarity breeds confidence”. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you have and the less fear you have to confront an endeavor.

The Last Frontier

I’m sure by now you realize that the last frontier is PREPARATION. In order to overcome fear in almost any endeavor, you need to prepare yourself adequately. If you are an athlete, you must be prepared physically and mentally. If you have an exam, you need to learn hard and solve practice questions. If you have a speech to deliver, you need to practice by discussing the subject of your talk with your friends and other people. You need to immerse yourself in the subject and convince yourself of its importance. Do all these with the goal that you will be less afraid after. I am not trying to insinuate that preparation is always easy. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’” said Mohammad Ali. Usain Bolt too is not a fan of training. It’s only discipline that can help you keep up with your preparation. ‘Discipline might just be the “hidden” key that separates the “haves” from the “have nots” says Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, Dean of Students & Adjunct Professor at the University of Charleston

In your preparation, one thing is essential; you need a reserve power (contingency plan). You need a game plan to confront any contingencies. Reserve power might be your best confidence tool. Do you ever wonder how Floyd Mayweather won every fight? He always had a contingency plan. It got to a point where I believed he couldn’t be defeated. He was that good. This is what he has to say: you have fighters that may be faster than me, there are fighters that may hit harder than me, you have fighters who are very athletic, but you don’t have a fighter who can make adjustments like me. Mayweather’s contingency plan is his ability to make adjustments to suit any situation.

It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark- Howard Ruff

This is the last frontier. The legends that you admire so much prepare for their big games. As a result, one way of overcoming fear in your endeavor is preparation. Preparation is key because it breeds confidence which helps you to overcome your fear. Don’t forget your reserve power.

Thanks for reading this far. Get ready for the very last post on fear titled: FEAR: One Last Word. We value your thoughts; share them on the blog. Cheers!