Fear is a primeval emotion that we have had for a long time. It is this emotion that has resulted in the survival of the human race. Fear of a larger animal, a raging rapid or another human being who is stronger has caused our hormones to trigger the "fight or flight" response.

The only types of fear that one is born with are - fear of falling - fear of loud sounds - fear of abandonment

We know this because if one makes a loud noise, a baby gets startled and cries. If he is allowed to fall through a distance, he is likely to cry even if there is no actual impact. Even before a baby can actually hone his senses to perceive the world around him, these fears are present in him instinctively.

However, there are many categories of fears that are acquired. Most of them are either passed on to us by our parents and elders or acquired due to certain circumstances that we may have gone through.

For example, if a child sees his mother shriek every time she sees a cockroach, the child is likely to adopt the fear himself. On the other hand, if someone experiences failure every time he tries something new, he is likely to develop a fear of attempting new things.

Fear is a useful emotion and, if channeled properly, can actually lead to success. To be able to use this emotion in a positive manner, overcoming fear is essential. You need to be able to control your fear in a manner so as not to let it become all-encompassing.

Fear that takes over an individual's life can lead to irritation, anxiety attacks, phobias, irrational behavior and depression. Such fear can stifle growth, retard potential growth and warp an objective view of the world.

There are many kinds of fears. These can be as extreme as phobias. An individual can have fear towards a specific thing like ghosts, dogs, water or something else.

There are yet other fears, like the fear of speaking to strangers, starting something new, public speaking, flying and many more. Even though the list of fears can be endless and a particular fear may have different meanings and manifestations for each individual, the strategies that can be used to overcome fear are fairly similar.

The first step towards overcoming fear is to understand the core from which the fear emanates. A certain amount of meditation and self-evaluation is critical. What you need to understand is the origin of the fear. Does the fear come from something someone has told you? Does it come due to some of your past experiences? Once you know the root cause, you can begin trying to work towards overcoming the specific fear.

One of the aspects of identifying your fear is being objective and true to yourself. You can try to examine the beliefs that you have that lead you to a certain fear. For example, if you are afraid of making presentations to a group of people and feel that you will not be appreciated by them, try making an attempt.

If you come out with flying colors, you'll know that your fears were baseless. Even if you do not perform well, you'll know that you need to work on your presentation skills so that you can do better next time. In either case, you will have taken the first step required in the process of overcoming fear.

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