I was browsing my bookshelf the other day, and seeing Susan Jeffers book "Feel the Fear and do it Anyway" reminded me that some time ago, I had the privilege of talking to a lady from Zimbabwe who had been evicted from her farm, along with her friend who had not only lost her farm, but whose husband had been murdered whilst trying to defend himself and his family. The two women had arrived in this country with their children, and were trying to start a new life. There is no doubt that they had gone through a terrifying ordeal.

We all have things that we are afraid of, but unlike the women from Zimbabwe, our fears may be irrational. We may have a fear of failure, a fear of losing all our money, a fear of letting people down, of being unable to cope; the list is endless. Im talking about situations that cause a great deal of anxiety, rather than an out and out phobia for which you may want to seek professional help.

Think of your own fear and try and work out where it came from. Was it something that happened to you as a child? If you know how it started then write down what happened to you and your feelings then, and what made you so afraid. Is the situation for you in the present still something to fear? If it is, write down what specifically is so frightening. If the feeling is no longer relevant, visualise the younger you having the experience, and imagine the older you taking the younger you by the hand. Tell the younger you that theres nothing left to be afraid of. After all, youre still around arent you? Allow the younger you to merge with the older you, knowing that theres nothing to be afraid of.

If your fear is a What if, for example What if I lose all of my money, write down the worst possible scenario, and see what options you can come up with for coping. If we know what we would do in that situation, it can often alleviate the anxiety and allow us to move on.