Atychiphobia is the irrational fear of failure. Fear. Even simply reading the word can invoke a negative, shuddering feeling in the body. So many of us hold ourselves back due to irrational fears. We keep ourselves from pursuing our dreams; create false story lines about circumstances and ourselves. We hinder our potential and can miss out on opportunities and relationships based upon false notions of reality.

Irrational fear lives within us for a myriad of reasons. It is often something imprinted on us by external factors. Perhaps issues related to bullying or teasing as a child. Demeaning or particularly demanding parents or caregivers. Some people tend to innately have a heightened sense of caution or fear from a very young age. Certain phobias may develop due to insecurity, perfectionistic qualities or mood and personality related disorders.

But identifying irrational fear and taking the steps to overcome these limiting beliefs is the key to living up to your potential and truly expanding your happienss and moreover, your consciousness. Fear can be absolutely debilitating and keep us stuck in situations we do not belong and essentially strip us of the roles we are meant to live out here on earth. There is such great importance in identifying the false stories and notions we attach to our self-perception and identities. There is even greater importance in releasing limiting beliefs and imprinting realistic and powerful messages upon our psyche.

Practices related to mind power can deeply impact your ability to recognize irrational fears and to gain control of your thoughts and emotions when making decisions and pursuing goals.

The first step in reclaiming the power of your mind is simply by recognizing that your sense of fear and limitations regarding a matter are in fact false. Once you are able to identify that your fear is coming from a false story you are telling yourself and is in no way based in reality-then you can position yourself in a state of clarity and truth and open up to your true inner power. Try to be as insightful as possible to identify where these false fears and insecurities are stemming from. Do you think you are not smart enough to write the book you have always dreamed of? Is it because a professor told you you were not a good writer? Do you keep yourself from signing up for an acting class because you were teased as a child and do not think you are attractive or talented enough? Identify why these fears are arising and then immediately acknowledge that the external factor preceding it has no relation to your current or future reality. By affirming these false notions you are in turn harnessing fear and acknowledging these falsities as truths. You are the only being that can create your truth. You and only you create your reality. Every other situation or external circumstance is only a story.

Once you identify and acknowledge the irrational fears precipitating your limiting beliefs it is time to LET THEM GO. Laugh at them if you can. It can be rather eye opening once you really understand how ridiculous some of these irrational fears actually are once examined. Mindfulness techniques including deep breathing and yogic practices can help to calm the mind and allow for these false thought formations to be released. Another method to help clear out irrational fears is to divide a sheet of paper in half vertically. On one side of the paper write down the fears, insecurities, doubts and limiting beliefs. On the corresponding side of the page write the reality-or at least what you would ideally want the reality to be.

For example:

“I do not make enough money” on one side and on the corresponding side you can write, “Opportunities to generate abundance and income flow into my life effortlessly”.

Or “I am incapable of maintain a relationship” and on the opposite side you may write “I am worthy of and open to love”.

By simply identifying and reframing these thought patterns the fear dissipates and sense of peace and power emanates. Without peace clarity becomes elusive. Once we shed the false stories we have ingrained in our mind we allow for new, positive, adaptive thought patterns to be formed. Once we are able to cultivate a sense of peace within ourselves, true clarity, confidence and courage will sprout.

Artwork by Lara Zankoul