Fear Factor by Selena Haskins

Fear Factor by Selena Haskins

There were at least 500 or more people sitting in the auditorium at Roosevelt High School in Washington, DC. They were all there to support the cause for anti-bullying. The audience included parents, students, businesspersons, celebrity guests, people from the local community, and various news media. I was one of 20 guest speakers invited to share my knowledge on this platform.

The Program Director of this very important event had read my article with Sistah's Place Magazine about bullying. I had never imagined that the article would bring me to an occasion of this magnitude. Still, I was nervous, scratch that, I was afraid! Sweat beads formed on my forehead and lined the creases of my hands as I stood backstage waiting uneasily for my turn to speak.

When the MC read my bio and called me to the stage, my feet felt cemented to the floor and I could not move. The curtains peeled back and I was still standing there as if my own name had become foreign to me. Surely, he meant a different Selena. I thought to myself, I can’t do this. These people will think I’m a joke! I’m not a psychologist or a medical professional. I’m just an author who write books and articles.

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever been so immobilized by fear that it hindered you from accomplishing your goals?

Fear of failure will always make a person fester self-doubt and feel inadequate. While it is a good idea to think things through, we should never focus on the worse outcome to the point that we give up on achieving our goals. Yet, many people react in fear when it comes to following through or pursuing their dreams. For some, it is a genuine fear that they will not be successful if they pursued their goals.

The paradox for others is that they may actually use fear as an excuse not to try at all. Growing up, we have all had certain fears, and some of those fears stayed with us as adults, especially the fears we never learned to overcome or control. One of the most common fears we all have is a fear of failure. How can we overcome such fear?

I immediately said a prayer and God helped me to remember why I was there at Roosevelt High School. I thought about my purpose and the cause I was willing to support. Once I redirected my attention elsewhere, I thought less about my fear and more about the young people who needed to know that we were there to help them. Sometimes, we have to step outside of ourselves and redirect our focus to what is important.

Imagine if our ancestors allowed their fears to conquer them. Would we have the freedom we have today? All too often, we spend a lot of time and energy on thinking the worse, and the worse never really happens.

Thankfully, I did not allow fear to conquer me. After the ceremony, many people came up to me and shared how much they appreciated my talk. Had I allowed fear to stop me, no one would have ever heard what I had to say. I would not have been able to help anyone.

Before you allow fear to conquer you, address your fears head-on. Take an assessment of what really scares you. Are your fears holding you back from pursuing your dreams? Does fear make you feel safer or happier? Pray for guidance. Talk to someone who has overcome his or her fears and achieved success in life. Having a balanced level of fear will protect you and guide you, but never keep you from living the life you were meant to live.

Author Selena Haskins