Fear has a bad reputation in our culture – it is perceived as a negative and weakness.
In actuality, fear is not all bad. Being afraid is normal. After all it is one of the fundamental human emotions. It helps us to steer away from dangers, respect powerful foes, and move away from undesirables. In short, fear keeps us alive.
But fear can also serve as a motivator. When training for a marathon, the thought of not able to completing the 26.2 miles pops into my head more than I like to admit, particularly early in the training when I am not in my race ready condition.
When that hill seems impossible or the tempo too difficult, the horrible thought of dying on the course (or feeling like it) keeps me pushing up that hill or cranking my tired legs. In other words, if I don’t want to suffer in race, I best put in the efforts in training.
Yes, the fear of failure can motivate. So make fear your friend, not the enemy. Learn to work with it. Turn that weakness into a strength. This way, let your competitors fear you.
What is your worst fear? How can it be turned around to motivate?
Running with Buddha 