Fear is a natural part of human nature.
Our own anxieties take firm grasp over our mental and emotional states when ridden with fear.
Whether it is related to some form of past trauma or fear of the unknown, the result ends up being the same for most people - temporary paralysis.
Our ability to think clearly and form rational thought becomes paralyzed in the moment and our minds become fixated on the worst possible outcome.
Most people see fear as nothing more than a reason to be terrified or embarassed, while others accept the challenges that fear brings.
The ability to face fears is something that can be learned.
Let’s take trauma for example: oftentimes when we experience something traumatic, it comes tied to emotions we feel in that moment.
These feelings live in the subconcsious portion of our minds and are often triggered when we experience something that creates the same emotion we had experienced with our past trauma.
One of the best cures to facing our past traumas is to re-experience something that resembles the moment we experienced that trauma.
For example, if I were to get thrown off of a horse and hurt badly, it can cause an anxiety around the experience and result in me never wanting to ride horses again.
The absolute worst thing I could do in this situation is never ride horses again, regardless of the fear that getting hurt may have caused.
The best thing to do in this situation is to get back on the horse, hence how this phrase was coined to begin with.
Getting back on the horse is not only a way to face your fears, but a path to continue your pursuit of something greater.
Whether you are afraid of public speaking, or scared if drowning in water, the only way to move past it is by doing these things in repetitive fashion.
Understand that fear and anxiety will keep you from ever being able experience the true joys in life.
The more fearful of an experience that you are able to overcome, the greater the spike of dopamine, resulting in a greater reward.
We all yearn for these moments of excitement and readiness.
Very few things in life will bring you the amount of satisfaction and joy that comes with facing your fears.