It depends on what the fear is of. In your case, your concerns about how people will see you could stop you making decisions about your life that will help you move forward. I went through a time in my teens of trying to please everyone else until I reached a point when it finally dawned on me that I couldn't please everyone else and I might as well please myself, at least someone would be happy from that! In fact, I decided a long time ago that life is not a popularity contest and that people could think what they like - what they think is their problem and not mine.

Having said that, I can see that when we choose the path of seeking greater understanding and enlightenment, it can be a private matter. However, growing and thriving in this life is what we are here for and we don't need permission from anyone (other than ourselves) to become more than we are, wherever that is in our lives right now, but maybe we do need to let the progress we make settle in and become established so we are more secure in it before we discuss it with people, particularly if we are taking the 'less trodden path' and making our way in a different direction to the masses that take the 'well trodden path' and don't see the point in learning and growing in the same way as you or I may choose to do.

It would help to sit down and clearly decide what is more important, your view of you or others' view of you. Assuming you decide that your own opinion of yourself is far more important than other people's - once you get to that point, it becomes easier to stop giving your power to other people and allowing them to make you into something other than all you can be because you are worried what they might think if you don't conform to their idea of what you should be.

It doesn't help that we also live in a fear based society, from the constant barrage of media and politicians telling us how awful things are and what to think, and what to be worried and afraid of next; the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry fuelling fears about sickness; advertisers telling us we are less than perfect or incomplete or bad parents or whatever without their product; and the churches that tell us we are sinners and born bad and have to put things right with God in this life to be happy in the next! Even some of the self-help community make us feel that we can't move forward without their services or product. It is therefore hardly surprising that an almost constant general, underlying, low-grade fear among society is hard to shake off. I stopped reading newspapers years ago (no time), and don't watch the news, or listen to it, or even read it on-line. I don't go near doctors unless I have no choice, and ignore as much advertising as I can - in fact I don't watch a lot of tv these days. I feel much better for it!

The recommendation above of the Emotional Scale talked about by Abraham Hicks is a good one. Another good and powerful affirmation is "I am that I am"

And this may make you smile ... :>)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pRP0bxMy4g

I find that the best way to fight of fear is to recognize it. I've learned to recognize it in myself. Once I identify my fears, I go towards it and challenge it. For example, I overcame my fear of public speaking by doing it. After awhile, it tends to fade away. In other words, go towards your fears and face them. You'll be amazed to learn that there was nothing to fear in the first place when you do this.

Fear is a message from your inner self that something isn't quite right. It may be a protective thing...like the feeling of fear you'd have if you found yourself face to face with a lion! Or it can be unfounded, like the butterflies you may get before speaking to an audience.

I don't see fear as an enemy at all but rather a form of communication from ME to ME. Instead of trying to defeat it, I get curious and ask what message it has. There is something of value to be learned here, and once you do that you'll find many fears simply fade away on their own.

Peace

Maria ~ Manifesting Muse

I would recommend a process by "Abraham" that is called "Moving Up The Emotional Scale".

It assumes that while fear and depression are unwanted, rage is just a little better. And revenge is just a little better than rage. And anger is just a little better than revenge. And frustration is just a little better than anger. And hopefulness is just a little better than frustration. And positive expectation is just a little better than hopefulness. And joy is just a little better than positive expectation.

A lot of people (myself included) seem to get stuck in depression. I come from a family where that was very common. One family member is very successful and un-depressed (I'm getting there myself :). My mom told me that, as a child, while the other children were cowering with fear, this young man (about 5) would run off into the woods in anger, causing his parents to go looking for him for hours.

Apparently, this worked for him; he was able to un-block himself through the process and "move up the emotional scale".

It has worked very well for me too; nothing feels better than letting oneself be very, very angry when one is depressed.

And what's even greater is, that when one gets angry on purpose to free up and unblock, one can do so out of the way of others, and move through the destructive phases in a way that doesn't harm others (and cause negativity to come back to oneself).

Give it a try!

Carlo

By gaining in confidence, your fears will fall away. Do not try to force fear away; that is not possible and only draws attention to it.

Fear only exists where there is a lack of knowledge.

You're on the right track... Once you learn the truth about our true nature and the true power that exists within each one of us, fear will be a thing of the past.

It will help you to have a dictionary handy while reading each lesson of the Master Key. When ever you have difficulty interpreting the lesson, stop and look up the meanings of the words that are in the confusing sentence (even the words you already think you know)...

Warmest regards,

Shonta

don't fight it .. use the opposite feeling to overcome it. use love. for example, I used to fear height. and I wanted to overcome this fear. I searched in my memory for a connection or a link that connects heights to something that I love very much and feel happy with. and I found that I love spiderman !! :-) all I had to do is to think about spiderman everytime I get in a high building. whenever I felt fear, I imagined how would spiderman feel about it. how would he think about the idea of fear of heights. how does he swing from one building to another .. and I found myself laughing instead of screaming. everything that exists, exist in pair of opposites. fighting it would only make it stronger. instead, use the opposite pole. the other face of the same coin. in this case .. use love or peace. the sign of overcoming your fear, is when you start to smile in its face. and maybe laugh whenever you remmeber it. at that point, you should know that it lost all control over you. and you are the one in control now. good luck.

I have personally found out that fear is an spirit yes there is an spirit of fear. So ask the Lord Jesus to remove the spirit of fear from you and replace it with his abundant love, peace, and faith. When it was removed from me I felt complete release like an heavy weight was off of my shoulders. Had not any thing change in the physical but only it had change on the inside of me in my mind and that is so powerful. I had an lady do something call touch and she says your cells in your body has recorded all of your history in your cells and you need to listen to what you body is saying she would tell me no don't tell me what you are saying tell me what your body is saying. And this one time I was deeply depressed and she would ask me what I felt what was my body saying and I would tell her and she would say I am with you and in the end I round up being in an deep relaxed state I guess and a angel was sending light energy into my body towards my chest and stomach and she would send it in and than pull it out and this went on for an while I don't remember how long and finally she said I am going to bring you back now and you may open your eyes and when I tried I couldn't and she said that is because I had went into an very deep place emotionally to be healed and I would open my eyes when it was time and I finally did for I was still coming back I was so deep under and in a very good place where the angels admistered unto me. No, I was not hypotized After that what I was afraid of was completely gone, thank you Jesus. God had sent his holy angel to remove my deep depression based on fear. The lady is Janet Cook on You Tube talking about The Rubenfled Synery Method She is very good at it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wOz5J7F6EU
web site: http://www.bodywhispere1.com Business e-mail: bodywhisperer1@yahoo.com

FEAR... I have been fearful myself all my life. Fear that I will loose my house and I lost it. Fear that I will loose my car, and I lost it. Fear that my spouse will abuse and hurt me in so many un believable way and he did. Overtime through the journey of self discovery, I identified that all my fears have something to do with how I was raised, the people I grew up with and all my pals, we have actually been taught in a way that being fearfull is a way of life. This would even go to an extend that people made ohters to be fearful of them and other things. But I have come to realise nothing and no one can harm me, I do this by acknowledging it and then autosugesting myself with the self talk of courage and that I am sorounded with abundance of love and tranquility.

Barry, have faith, remember allways..Faith is greater than fear.

Apologies Barry, I'd forgotten to log in.. the 'Have Faith' answer was posted by myself (Penny)

EFT Emotional Freedom Technique is very useful in eliminting fears. EFT uses tapping on meridian points while feeling the fear. You can use reminder phrases to help you feel the fear, or think of times you felt the fear, and tap on the feeling of fear and the memories that cause the fear. Then tap in a positive statement or word about the issue. It works wonders!

Fear is in the mind of the beholder. There is no fear except for the ones you create for yourself.

A good way to start believing in your self confidence is to develop the attitude of this concept: “I am in control all the time.”

Then allow you’re self to step out of your comfort Zone, and learn how to take the Bull by its Horn and Run with it. Be aware that fear has no power over you, and you are in full control of your thoughts, and thinking!

Fear can be a useful tool if used properly I demonstrated this in my question about using fear for positive or something like that I said it was a flop question anyway.

But if we use fear instead of it using us, we see it can be a valuable tool.

Example: I fear acting on something, "Oh what might happen if I do this? If I go after that?"

I can change this to "Oh what might happen if I don't do this? If I don't go after that? I could blow my only chance!"

The second type of fear pushes us, it motivates us to move forwards, the first fear makes us freeze up and atrophy.

This fear can be used in an army situation, "I am afraid to fight them" turns into "I am afraid if I don't fight them they will slaughter us!"

Fear and worry also manifest so you can change what you worry about or fear to what you actually want, for example the fear of money could be turned into the fear of getting rich, if you worry about it enough to keep that fear on your mind you are attracting the thing you fear.

Now lastly if you want to just get rid of it instead of use it, recognize the Christ within, know that you and your father God are one, and if God is for you who could be against you?