How to Eliminate the Six Basic Fears

Learn what the six basic fears are and how to eliminate them.

There are many factors which influence our day to day lives, most of which are fear driven. Understanding these fears and learning to overcome them is the first step to being a more successful person in every aspect of our life. Napoleon Hill in his book "Think and Grow Rich" illustrated these six basic fears.

The following tips describe the six basic fears and how to eliminate them.

Step 1

Fear of Poverty:

Believe it or not but having a fear of poverty is actually a good thing. It can be a strong motivating factor to keep pushing ahead. The problem arises when we become so engulfed by this fear that we do nothing.

How to eliminate the fear of poverty:

The simple fix, for the first of six basic fears, is to change the way you think. Negative thoughts will sabotage your life and only lead you to being more impoverished. It may sound like a cliché but thinking positive can make a huge impact. Start doing and stop being lazy. Go out and find ways to improve your life. If you are having trouble in a specific area, find a book or a CD on the subject to help motivate you and correct the problem.

Step 2

Fear of Old Age:

Have you ever noticed that some people are younger than there age or others seem old for their age? You can see the fear of old age in people who begin to shy away from new things or don't want to participate in activities because they feel too old. Being old is a state of mind not a number.

How to eliminate fear of old age:

To eliminate this fear you need to understand the advantages that come with age. Age should be seen as a sign of strength, wisdom, and character. As we grow older we offer so much more to the world in terms of knowledge and skill. Sure you may not be able to dunk a basketball but chances are you could run circles around people younger than you mentally. This is the time in your life to use your mind not your body to produce amazing things that add value to the world.

Step 3

Fear of Death

Everyone on some level fears death. The one who claims not to fear it is only deceiving himself. The problem arises when this fear takes over your life and keeps you from living.

How to eliminate the fear of death:

You will never completely eliminate this fear but you can add meaning to your life and know that it meant something. Many soldiers die in wars, what keeps them going is the belief in what they are doing. The best way to overcome this fear is to believe in something greater than yourself. Whether it is through spirituality or religion, the belief that we have a purpose in life will go a long ways in alleviating this fear.

Step 4

Fear of Loss of Love:

This fear can be seen by intense jealousy or fault finding. If you are afraid of losing love, you will be constantly suspicious and looking for signs of inadequacy.

How to eliminate fear of loss of love:

Not being loved stems from insecurity. Understanding where this insecurity comes from will help you to overcome it. Chances are there has been a negative psychological event in your past that has conditioned you to be this way. In order to fully overcome this you need to change the way you think. Sabotaging yourself by attacking the ones you love will only reinforce your fear.

Step 5

Fear of Criticism:

Nobody likes to be criticized but fearing criticism will only lead to an inability to get ahead. A fear of criticism can be seen in extravagant spending, self consciousness and a lack of poise among other things.

How to eliminate fear of criticism:

First you need to stop focusing on what you are bad at and find the things that you are good at. Again it comes down to your thought process. If you are always focused on what is wrong then you will never see all of the great things you have to offer. Everyone has something unique about themselves to offer the world. Stop the self pity and be proud of the things you are good at no matter what others say.

Step 6

Fear of Ill Health

This is a very powerful fear and usually leads to the very problem you fear. Typically this fear manifests itself via hypochondria, excessive exercising, self-coddling, and intemperance.

How to eliminate fear of ill health:

Many times this is psychological in nature. If you find that you have an excessive fear of ill health you really need to see a therapist. This is a very unhealthy fear to have and will only lead you to the very thing you fear. The mind is so powerful that you can actually think yourself sick. Changing your thought process is the only way you will overcome this fear.

If you really do have health problems that cause you to be sick frequently then you need to focus on the things that will keep you well. The mind can not only make you sick but it can also help you heal. Use it to your advantage.

Step 7

The six basic fears are all centered on negative suggestions that our mind has perceived throughout our life as being true. It's our mindset which creates these fears and it will take a change in the way we think to eliminate them. Like the cliché says "think positive", it really does help.