When Fear Holds You Back: Strategies To Overcome it

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This episode explores the powerful connection between fear and personal growth, encouraging listeners to confront their fears rather than avoid them. We discuss practical strategies to cultivate courage, learn from setbacks, and embrace life's challenges fully.

• Navigating personal fear through surgery and rehabilitation
• Understanding the individual nature of fear
• Tales of overcoming fear through pursuit of dreams
• Strategies for managing fear and anxiety
• Importance of self-care in confronting challenges
• Techniques for shifting mindset and self-coaching
• Role of mindfulness and deep breathing in overcoming fear
• Acknowledging emotional complexities in personal growth
• Encouragement to embrace small wins and progress
• Teaser for next episode on loss and strength

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This episode was hosted by Sterling Brown

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
If you have ever been told by someone that you're not
capable of attaining success,if you have made mistakes or
lived in an underprivilegedneighborhood, then this podcast
is for you.
You are now locked in toStruggle to Success.
Struggle to Success aims toinspire individuals to navigate
life's challenges with courage,fortitude and unwavering

(00:21):
determination.
So if you're in your carjogging or somewhere else trying
to find the calm in the storm,then join Struggle to Success
airing every other Saturday.
Remember life is trials.
Stay focused.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hello, wonderful people, welcome to the first
episode of the Struggle toSuccess podcast in 2025.
As I record this episode, myarm is once again in a sling due
to a second surgery needed torepair the tear in my shoulder.
I mention this because it tiesdirectly into our topic today

(01:00):
fear.
After 10 grueling months oftherapy, I was informed that I
needed another surgery to repaira tear in my rotor cuff.
Once again, I found myselffacing the unknown Additional
pain, and more rehabilitationawaited me.
The choice was clear I couldeither confront my fear and

(01:21):
proceed with the operation, orturn away and become a prisoner
of my anxiety.
In this episode, we're going toconfront fear and unpack some
solid strategies to break freefrom it.
First off, fear is personal andinternal for every human being.
No one can feel the fear youexperience.
As the saying goes, it's all inyour head.

(01:43):
Only you can get past themental block.
So how do you coach yourself totake that leap of faith?
At 47 years of age, I took onwhat I thought would be the
greatest challenge of my lifeattending the part-time police
academy in Harrisburg,pennsylvania, alongside a group
of cadets half my age.
Yes, I felt out of my comfortzone at first, but as the year

(02:07):
progressed, I found ways to turnthe negative thinking around.
Whereas the standard policeacademy ran for six months, the
part-time police academy ranfrom January to December of 2022
.
It required a commitment ofthree to four days a week of
intense training, in addition tome being a full-time correction

(02:27):
officer.
My goal to become a peaceofficer for the state of
Pennsylvania.
Reflecting on this journey, Ioften think how I pushed through
the fear, anxiety andself-doubt.
Just a few years prior, Ireceived a pardon and faced
rejection from a policedepartment in 2019.
Although I passed the physicaland written exams, even crushed

(02:50):
the scenario portion, I stillwas denied.
Yet here I was.
Yet here I was, diving back into chase my dream of being a
first responder.
Elizabeth Kobler-Ross, arenowned psychiatrist, said that
life boils down to two primaryemotions love and fear.
Love leads to happiness andcontentment, while fear can

(03:13):
bring anger and anxiety.
Finding love for change helpedme generate positive vibes, even
amidst setbacks.
Even amidst setbacks, I feltcontentment, which is a huge
shift from my younger years,when fear of the unknown helped
me back and led me to makeregrettable choices.
Through this journey, I learnedthat making choices, right or

(03:34):
wrong, is part of life.
You won't know the rightchoices unless you take the leap
.
That's how you learn, reflectand grow.
But let's keep it real.
The emotional rollerco coastercan be intense.
Guilt is way more complex thanjust being indecisive.
It can leave you feeling out ofcontrol, especially when you
worry about how others perceiveyou.
But that's shame.

(03:55):
It's usually just a projectionof your own insecurities.
So shift your focus back toyour own feelings about your
choices.
Think about the risk, how youwill feel if you make this
choice or the wrong choice.
More importantly, how will yougrow from it?
What lessons will you learnfrom it?
Outcome is key for personalgrowth and resilience.

(04:26):
In the end, I learned that thefear of making the wrong choice
is nothing compared to the fearof never trying it at all.
Through love, growth and thecourage to make choices, we can
transform our lives and tacklethe challenges ahead.
Here are some ways to cope withthe fear of the unknown.
Number one don't dwell onthings you can't control.
Number two accept that everyonehandles the unknown differently

(04:49):
.
Number three practice self-careeat well, exercise and get rest
.
Number four limit your newsconsumption.
It can be overwhelming at times.
And number five learn newskills to boost your confidence.
As I navigated my journey tobecome a peace officer, I faced

(05:11):
fears that threatened to hold meback.
Here are some essentialstrategies that helped me tackle
those fears.
The first step is knowingexactly what's scaring you.
By pinpointing your fears, youcan tackle them head-on instead
of letting them loom over you.
Don't let negative thoughts runwild.
Use affirmations like I gotthis.

(05:33):
You can do this to shift yourmindset and build confidence as
you face challenges.
Deep breathing exercises canwork wonders when fear hits.
Focus on slow, deep breathingto calm your body and to regain
control when feeling overwhelmed.
Mindfulness is another gamechanger.

(05:54):
Be present and aware of yourthoughts and feelings helps you
manage your anxiety.
It also allows you to respondto fear with clarity rather than
panic as you work through yourfears, keep these points in mind
.
It's totally normal to feel fear, and trying to suppress it can
backfire.
Acknowledge that those feelingsand work through them.

(06:17):
Acknowledge those feelings andwork through them as part of
your growth.
Focus on progress and notperfection.
Celebrate the small wins anddon't sweat the setbacks.
Growth comes in time and everystep forward counts.
Practice self-care.
Managing stress is crucial forovercoming fear.

(06:37):
Make sure you're getting enoughsleep, staying active and
eating well.
A healthy body supports ahealthy mind.
By incorporating thesestrategies into my life, I was
able to confront my fears andembrace the challenges ahead.
Remember, it's okay to feelfear.
What matters is how you respondto it.

(06:58):
By fostering a mindset of love,growth and courage, you can
transform your experiences andcome out stronger.
And courage you can transformyour experiences and come out
stronger.
Don't let fear waste your time.
As Harvey Mackey said, time isfree, but it's priceless.
You can't own it, but you canuse it.
You can't keep it, but you canspend it.

(07:18):
Once you've lost it, you cannever gain it back.
Join us in our next episodeNavigating Loss and Finding
Strength.
Until next time, take care andremember life is trials.
Stay focused.

Speaker 1 (07:34):
Thanks for checking out this episode of Struggle to
Success.
To connect with the show, youcan email us at
struggletosuccessp at gmailcom.
Make sure you like andsubscribe so that you never miss
an episode.
And remember Life is trials,Stay focused.