Overcoming Your Fear

Lions hunt in packs, with the females doing most of the work.

They understand how their prey behaves and have developed practical strategies — like using the sound of fear to trap their targets.

The oldest female lion is typically missing teeth, lacks speed and agility. Thus, she serves as the decoy because she has the loudest and most powerful roar of all.

The pack hangs behind, secluded from sight, as the older female stays in front, seemingly alone, roaring. When the prey hears that roar, it often scatters toward the trees, running away from the perceived fear directly into the pack of the eagerly-awaiting lions.

These lions use the power of fear to quiet their appetites.

Recent studies indicate that running away from fearful situations often heightens our fear. The key is to instead engage with the source of our fright and face it head on.

When people run away from a threatening situation, the part of their brain associated with fear has a much stronger response than when they engage it directly. Had the prey faced the powerfully-roaring lioness, it would have encountered a far-less dangerous foe than those secluded in the trees.

Much like the lion's prey, we are taught to run away from what we fear — to play it safe and protect ourselves. But when we buy into the fear, the fear then buries us.

Confronting fear actually transforms us and gives us a sense of accomplishment and internal satisfaction. If we resist what we fear, it will forever haunt us. But if we face it, we can instead begin to bring light to it — and it can transform us.

Don’t fear the darkness; it's through dealing with this that we gain opportunity and grow. Don’t run from what you fear; run toward it. If you fear it, it’s probably important for your development, so embrace what you fear.

Understand the more you run, your fear will grow — and you will never escape. Fear only gains control of your life with your permission.

Don’t stay stuck in a pattern of fear, as you’ll never emerge into the light. And without that light, there can be no clarity.

In the end, you might find that what you fear is really an aging, toothless, non-worthy opponent.