Working Through Fears

A life lived in fear is a life not being lived fully.  Living in fear results in many restrictions, unused opportunities and above all hardly any growth. Because if we never attempt the unknown, how can new experiences, new knowledge, new acquaintances and adventures come into our lives?

Sometimes we wish our fears would leave us be and in peace. However, we thereby dismiss the important role that our fears play in a fulfilled life. Confused?  Good.

Let’s start by debunking the myth that happy and successful people know no fear.

Fear has accompanied mammals for about 300 million years. At this time in evolution, the first mammals emerged and with them the part of our brain responsible for triggering emotions and social behaviour: the limbic system. This system was a coup of evolution. Through the limbic system mammals were able to make their behaviour more flexible. Their behavior had previously been largely characterized by reflexes. But now, it was becoming more complex.

And more successful: For example, if one of our distant ancestors met a predator unprepared, they felt fear and tried to avoid this situation in the future. This way they survived longer and could produce more offspring.

What does this excursion into evolutionary biology teach us?

That fear is something that all mammals feel, correspondingly all humans * and you are not alone in feeling it. And that fear is something that has ensured our survival for millions of years. Even today, the queasy feeling in your stomach tells you that you shouldn’t walk down an unlit alleyway in a twilight district at night.

Nevertheless, sometimes fear seems to rule our lives. And in such moments, fear does not help us survive but keeps us from living. This course is designed to help you become aware of your fears, what they want to tell you and how you can accept them and lead the life you desire in spite of, or better, together with your anxieties.