What are your fears? Fear of failure? Fear of success?

What have your fears cost you in terms of relationships, health, career, money, and lost opportunities?

Have they kept you from achieving success and financial freedom?

The dictionary says fear is the anticipation of danger, a belief that something negative or painful will happen as a result of some possible future action. It is nothing more than this. It is nothing less. 'Anticipation' means that the danger MAY exist in the future. It does not exist in the reality of NOW.

Fear is a normal experience. Scientists tell us that our brains evolved in such a way that one of their primary functions was to protect us and warn us of dangerous situations. That was useful when we had to keep an eye open for the neighborhood sabertooth tiger, but we're a little safer now.

The protection mechanism, however, still keeps busy by warning us against lesser dangers. My personal experience and yours, I imagine, suggests that the real 'pain' comes when you look back at opportunities lost, and what you missed out on because of fear-based choices you made at the time.

We can't eliminate fear but we can learn to overcome it. By that I mean we can learn to deal with it and not become disabled by it. Successful people experience fear. But they are able to deal with it in such a way that it doesn't disable them and keep them from taking the appropriate action.

The first step is awareness. If you look at your fear objectively it becomes less threatening. When you see it as something you can overcome, you can CHOOSE to overcome it!

Let's talk about the fear of success, or rather the beliefs some people have about success. If you ask people if they want more money and the resulting wealth and financial freedom, they invariably say "Yes". If you ask them what they are doing to get it, most aren't doing anything at all. Their main plan is to wait for their next raise, or an inheritance, or to win the lotto. That isn't much of a plan.

What's stopping them? What exactly are they afraid of? Let's look at three of the common fears (beliefs) that stop people from succeeding and illuminate them:

1."My friends won't like me if I make more money than they do." ? It's true that jealousy can be a factor. What someone thinks about you isn't as important as what you think about yourself. Stated another way, if they won't be happy for you when you succeed, are they really your friends? You have the choice to find people and relationships that are supportive of your goals and your successes. Do so.

2. "The rich are all greedy crooks. I don't want to be like them." - In fact, a lot of rich people are generous, decent, law abiding people. But what someone else does or doesn't do isn't the issue. We always have the free will to CHOOSE how WE are going to act. We can choose to pursue success, financial freedom and happiness ethically and with integrity. What will you choose?

3. "I'll have to pay more taxes." - Perhaps. There are a number of legitimate tax reduction strategies available to individuals. As for me, when I have used all the LEGAL advantages to which I am entitled, and I still have to pay more taxes, I know I have made a lot more money. Please! Give me more problems like that!

These are just three of the common beliefs (fears) that keep people from succeeding. Do any of them sound familiar? Are those fears justified? I don't believe so. Can you choose to overcome them? I believe you can.

Financial freedom, success and happiness await you when you do. What are you afraid of?

? Copyright by Paul Nadrowski, CPA. All rights reserved. Paul focuses on the psychology of wealth and success. He provides practical tools, strategies and systems for achieving a holistic balance of financial freedom and happiness with integrity. He is the editor and publisher of the Wealthzine Financial Freedom Ezine. Further information on achieving success and financial freedom is available at Megabundance.com and he can be reached at paul@wealthzine.com