5 Ways to Conquer Your Fears and Live a Happier Life

by Jill Greenlaw on June 10th, 2014 | No Comments »

For some time, I have felt like I have been living life on the outside. I told myself that I couldn't do the things that I love anymore. I have a very active family. They are always on the go and doing things that require physical endurance. The last few years, I have gained weight. Because of this, I held myself back from doing the same things my family was doing.

During the Family Forward Weekend Adventure, I decided to face my fears and go on the canyoneering adventure. I have to admit, that fitting into a harness and repelling down a 100 foot cliff made me a little nervous. I had to prove to myself that I could still do hard things. I could hear my family saying, "Conquer Your Fears". Guess what? I did it! With the support of my family and blogging friends, I scaled the rock wall and faced my fears head on.

What does it take to conquer your fears? How do you stop telling yourself that you can't do something when clearly your negative thoughts are the only thing that is holding you back. Here are 5 ways to do it:

5 Ways to Conquer Your Fears and Live a Happier Life

Realize that the story you are telling yourself is not truth. I kept telling myself that my weight wouldn't allow me to repel down a cliff. I decided to ignore the voices and go for it. The result, I can still be active and do the things I love.
Stop putting off what you want now. I have had some really hard things happen the last few years. The stress of the events have caused me to gain weight. I am tired of being heavy and overweight. I find that when I MAKE time for myself, it really isn't hard to exercise and feel better. Enough of putting things off. I am going to live my life today, and feel better knowing I am doing something to change my situation.
Don't live your life on the sidelines. I let my weight hold me back from the things my family likes to do. I have never been very good at sitting on the sidelines. I love living life. I love to bungee jump, go scuba diving, and hike. After my canonyeering trip, I realized that I stayed home from trips my family went on and I didn't need to. I am excited to live life to the fullest and get healthy doing it.
Be kind to yourself. Even if things aren't perfect, you can still live life. If you have some weight to lose, don't let it stop you from doing hard things. Put one foot in front of the other, and take it one day at a time.
Surround yourself with good friends. Your real friends don't see your weaknesses. They will encourage you to conquer your fears and overcome your negative self talk. They will also be the support system you need to overcome your challenges.

Repelling down the cliff at Zion Ponderosa not only showed me I can do hard things, but it reminded me that I want to live life to the fullest. I am excited to get healthy and lose the weight. I am taking one day at a time and know it will happen in time. This makes me happy.

Here is a video of the activities you and your family can do at Zion Ponderosa. For more details of how you and your family can have fun together, go to FamilyForward.com for more information.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S1MxwsH3Zgg]

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln