Fear, anxiety, stress, depression… all of these are very difficult emotional blocks to overcome. I know. I have battled them myself. And, although I am not perfect (and don’t expect to be) I have become the more positive, focused person I am today through very deliberate action. I have made choices to create the life I want to have emotionally.

We are all works-in-progress. We never fully stop growing and developing when we take action to not be overcome by negative emotions.

You can overcome the persistent shadow of fear that’s always been hanging around in the back of your mind. Don’t let the fear of what you THINK your colleagues think about you, or your in-laws, or the other ‘perfect’ parents at the PTA meetings keep you stuck. Often times what we imagine people think or do is so much worse than actual reality. And our anxiety over the situation makes our own fear even greater.

There was a time in my life when my instructors were attempting to remove me from my psychology doctoral program because the depression I was struggling with was affecting my work output – I had fallen behind. For years after, I lived in the shadow of what I imagined my instructors must have thought of me as they attempted to dismiss me. I worried if perhaps they were right about me. I wondered how I could possibly be qualified to help anybody. With every new goal I set, a little demon would raise its ugly head and remind me of my shortcomings, causing me to be terrified that I would be “found out.”

This fear interfered with my willingness to take risks and step outside the box in my career for a long time. But I chose to keep growing and moving forward at whatever pace I could and push through those negative thoughts when they showed up. And, the truth is, they still show up occasionally. Every time I am about to take a new leap in my career or try something new, that creepy little fear shows up. But, I now know how to deal with it. And, I know why it’s there and why I am here…I have a purpose and passion to fulfill. The choice I make every day is not to let the fears that do show up stop me in my tracks anymore.

Here are some things you can do to help you overcome these issues yourself.

1. Let go of your emotional blockages. There is not a single thing you can do to change the world around you. The only thing you CAN control is yourself. You can control your own thoughts and actions to all the chaos around you. Your worry, fear, and anxiety are not helping to fix a single problem. They are making it worse. And making you more of a mess in the process. Let it go. Forgive, forget, and move on.

2. Discover your purpose and passion. Find something you love to focus on. Maybe it’s volunteering at the animal shelter. Maybe your hobby of cooking freezer meals can help you give to shut in neighbors and new mothers that need a little extra help. Maybe it’s as simple as finding one good habit to start putting yourself first, like an evening meditative walk that helps you focus on nature and all of the positive around you. Put on your headset, play the positive tunes, or an uplifting podcast to escape your own negative thoughts while you walk it out.

3. Live fearlessly. Don’t procrastinate moving forward in your life. Make it a mission to confront the issues causing your emotional and physical paralysis so you can get ‘unstuck’. The only person you have to prove something to is yourself. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks of you. Get a vision of what you want, set a course, and go after it.

4. Create an unshakable confidence. Believe in yourself and your ability to overcome and achieve. The only limits on life you have are the ones you give yourself. Take a risk and trust yourself. YOU are the cause of great things happening in your life, not the effect or reaction to what’s around you.

5. Own your magnificence. You have a beautiful light inside of you. Stand on the stage of your life and own it. Don’t be afraid to let others see the greatness inside of you. Step into your own and let your light shine.

These are the keys that have led me toward emotional freedom. I k now they can bring the same to you.