We all have fears in life. Most of them are beliefs we learned as children. They are beliefs we learned from our parents and life experiences. We are told we are good or bad, not to trust, not to love, and not to give because we'll never have enough. I've had enough of that. It's time to face fears and overcome them. It takes courage and bravery to be honest with yourself and face them head on, so your fear doesn't rule your life. Here are a few steps to help you work through and overcome fears.

1. Acknowledge. You can't face a fear you don't know you have. Through life experiences you may discover them or have someone tell you about your fear. We have fears of being hurt and unloved, so we cut ourselves off from the people who love us. I have trust fears. I grew up with the belief that people are out to get you and hurt you, and consequently, I have a hard time truly trusting. I can be gullible and naive, but I'm riddled with doubts and fears. It is revealed when I dance tango because I discover those fears through my issues trusting my partner to lead me. 
2. Process. Once you've acknowledged your fear, it's important to think it through and see all the areas in your life where the fear has seeped in. That fear is poison to your life and the longer you let the poison fester, the worse it gets. 
3. Make a New Choice. You have to decide to face the fear instead of avoiding it. If you face fear, it will become easier to do. Rally up your courage and go for it.
4. Face. Now that you know what your fear is and where it's affecting you in your life, you must make a new choice to face them. This is hard because it carries so much potential hurt. our natural instinct is to run away from hurt by running away from the fear. When it comes to people, the issue is about the other person, not about you. If it's your issue, the problem is within you and not the other person. If you can choose not to take anything personally, you can face your fears with freedom and never run away again.
5. Process. Lastly, it's important to process the experience of facing your fear. They're often filled with some conflict or drama, either external or internal. It's important to step away and process the events. That will teach you a lot about yourself and the other person. I write to process my thoughts.Others meditate or go on retreats.

 If you can acknowledge, process, face and process your fears, you can gain even more personal freedom to live a life of joy and peace. You may need to repeat to go into facing the deeper levels of your fear, but it is possible. Face your fears today because you can!