A Publication of Lighthouse Consulting Services

We have an interesting relationship with fear. Many people enjoy scary movies and books, such as Psycho and The Shining. The occasional (or not so occasional) visit to the amusement parks for thrilling rollercoaster rides also seems to keep the adrenaline flowing. We look forward to Halloween where we can dress up as rather frightening characters. That's when our relationship with fear is exciting, even fun. This isn't too surprising, since these types of situations give us a fair amount of control over fear. Yet, what do we do with situations where our relationship with fear isn't fun or a thrill? In fact, there are probably times where everyone has felt that fear is out of control, and that is downright terrifying.

Watch Out for Those Monsters!
Most can remember times when as a child, we were greatly concerned over going to bed due to 'The Monsters' under the bed. Or as one of my friends insist; those monsters were on the ceiling! Pretty scary stuff back then, but what about now? How does fear show up in our lives and do we handle it as well as we would like to?

Dealing with fear isn't really fun, and many people would like to avoid or deny it. Harry Emerson Fosdick once said, "Whatever else you can run away from, you can't run away from yourself." Fear is much like our shadow - no matter how hard we run, it's going to dog us.

Tips to Managing Anxiety
Fear or stress can feel overwhelming at times. So, how can we manage it better? The following are some ideas to getting a handle on fear:

• Get a reality check on fear. Fear can become bigger and bigger in our minds until it takes on unrealistic proportions. Discuss your anxiety or concerns with others to discover what is real and what isn't. An example would be the individual who fears failure in everything he or she wants to do, where in reality that individual has always been successful. That person needs to change his/her perspective.
  
• Break the mesmerism of fear. It is very easy to obsess over fear. Breaking the pattern, taking a break, finding a distraction, getting support, etc. can help. This isn't to say that we should ignore our anxieties, but obsessing over them won't help us to resolve them any faster or to enjoy life more.

Continued on page 2

Lighthouse Consulting Services 
3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 453-6556