I was talking to a friend last week (they worked for a established company and depended on a regular weekly wage) my friend commented on how "lucky" I was to own and operate my own business and wished that they could do the same."Why don't you do it then?" I asked. The reply was, "I have kids and a family and we live from pay check to pay check. I just could not possibly breakaway not knowing where our next meal was coming from! It's just too scary!"

I explained to him he could start his own business while still holding down his present job. Then, when the business was bringing in more income than his job, he could quit. You would think this would have calmed his fear. Unfortunately, his reply was, "But where do I find the time? What if it doesn't work? I simply don't have any extra money to lose!"With a grim realisation I realised that FEAR troubled this anxious person's life. He had been trapped in the 9 to 5 routine existence for so long that he was absorbed by it.Unless he wanted to at least try that is exactly where he would remain for the rest of his days. In a 9 to 5 prison with excuses keeping him captive and his regrets playing upon troubling his mind.

The easiest way to combat fear is by not using excuses. Instead, you need to look for positive approaches to accomplish what you want in life. If you want to start a business, attend a meeting at the Better Business Bureau, see what training is available at local collages. In the UK there are BEST centres. Check the Yellow pages or the Internet for start up resources. www.businesslink.gov.uk or princes-trust.org.uk Subscribe to newsletters from on-line organisations. A personal favourite is www.successnet.org Read magazines like Income Opportunities, Spare Time, The Sharp Edge, for example. Start reading the business section of your newspaper. Gather ideas and do read up on it before actually jumping into a business. If you keep your research on things you enjoy and know about you will be able to evaluate their worth better. If it is some thing you enjoy doing it will make it less like work and more like a hobby.Try to ensure that you learn something new every day (simple but effective way to expand the power of your mind and your expectations) Start associating yourself with people who are in their own business already. (An alcoholic never stopped drinking by hanging around his or her drinking buddies. They made a change by associating with people who DON'T drink). Are you apprehensive about going out meeting new people and friends? Attend a local business-related seminar in your community. Learn about how to start conversation and skills that help to ease these difficulties. Start watching television shows that are related to business. You'll eventually find people to associate with who know others and you'll be the part of a new crowd -- the motivating ones!

FEAR is always your enemy. Look at it this way: If you never try, FEAR Wins by 100%. However, if you do try, FEAR only has a chance of winning by 50%. If you needed a place to live and only had 10 to your name would you allow FEAR to win and make you homeless? No, most of us would find a job or borrow the money to have a roof over our heads!FEAR is the root of failure, depression and lifelong problems.Are you really going to let FEAR ruin your life?

For example:if you FEAR your employer work is going to dismiss you, naturally it will be on your mind day in and day out. It will eventually wear you down and you will begin making mistakes on the job. You will also get depressed and build up resentments that may have never been there in the first place.Facing FEAR head on is the best way to combat it. For example, if you do think you are about to get dismissed ask your employer if it is true. It does take guts, but isn't it better than putting yourself through many months of agonizing torture?Are you so full of FEAR you think even asking will it will trigger the dreaded YES". It is far more likely that that it was not being considering it at all? Asking "if" they are thinking about firing you will put you in no different position than you are now. In fact, it is more likely to have the opposite effect. Your employer will more than likely respect you for your candidness and ability to face FEAR head-on.

Is FEAR holding you back from a lot of things? Are you afraid to confront people and tell them how you really feel with out being overly aggressive, rude or missing the real point of what you are trying to say? Do you smile in their face and talk about them behind their back instead? What's so hard about being truthful but thoughtfully using tact? It will help dispel FEAR, solve many problems and clear up difficult situations? It could be a situation that may not even exist other than in the mind of the fearful person, just a product of misunderstanding rather than intent or of perception rather than reality. Although not to every bodies taste it may be worth considering taking part in martial arts or self defence classes. It can help improve your confidence and self esteem, help you control your feelings about confrontation, get fit (which alone can do great things for confidence) expand your personal network and be a pleasant distraction from the labours and anxiety of the day.

Complaining is also an act that emotionally drains you and people around you. FEAR is normally the root of any complaint. People don't want to admit their FEAR so they will complain to release some tension instead of confronting it properly. This is a crazy merry-go-round! Instead of complaining, try to find ways to solve the problem. A relative of mine used to drive me crazy complaining about her husband slurping his food. She never told him about it because she had a FEAR he would be embarrassed. But when I told her I was going to tell him for her if she didn't confront the issue head-on, it scared her into talking to him. She was kind but direct about her complaint. She didn't instigate an argument but honesty told him it was bothering her. He immediately made a change and they lived happily ever after!