7 common fears leaders face in business

Dr John Demartini

There are seven areas of life we are here to master - spiritual, mental, vocational, financial, familial, social and physical. These areas can either be powerfully supportive of your genius, or they can impede it. There are also seven common fears and guilts that fragment our full potential in each of these areas, and the only difference between somebody who does what they love and someone who doesn’t, is that the former has the ability to identify their fears and has a strategy to break through them.

Fear #1

The first fear is the spiritual fear of breaking the ethics of some perceived authority. Morals are the rules we impose on ourselves, and ethics are the rules that others impose on us. Many people let those fears stop them from doing what they love and expressing their genius because they fear that others may not approve of them.

Fear #2

The second fear is the mental fear of not knowing enough. This fear can keep you from doing what you really love. In fact, you have the capacity to do whatever you dream of doing, at the level you’re on now, and grow to the next. You attract opportunities according to your level of knowing. As you know more, you grow more. By loving yourself even when you don’t know, you liberate yourself to learn.

Fear #3

The third fear is the vocational fear of failure. You must be able to love failure as much as success since you fail and succeed equally and constantly. Have you ever set yourself goals and haven’t managed to fulfill them? Everyone does. Throughout your life you’ll be a success and failure constantly.

Fear #4

The fourth fear is the fear of financial poverty. You fear that if you go out and do what you truly love to do, you won’t make enough money. If you love something and are committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed, and you value money highly, follow the financial laws of success and save, you can certainly build wealth doing what you love.

Fear #5

The fifth fear is the fear of losing your loved ones. Many people feel that if they do what they love, they will lose someone they love. I think what stabilised my marriage is that we didn’t so much need each other as love each other. There’s a big difference. We both had an independent life, and if either of us had decided to leave, the other would still have been able to function.

Fear #6

The sixth fear, the fear of social rejection is a big one. Some people are not doing what they love because they’re afraid people will reject them. The truth is, acceptance and rejection occur throughout your life, and the more extraordinary you become, the more you will receive of both. Learn to appreciate both equally. People come and go, they’re transient, but you’re with yourself for the whole trip - it’s your life. Never sacrifice the eternal for the transient. Embrace both sides of life equally.

Fear #7

The seventh and last fear is the fear of ill health, death or disease. Some people don’t live their dream because they’re afraid they will die if they do. But the greatest cause of illness, disease, and death is not living your dreams. That will kill you faster than anything else. Inspiration and gratitude heal and empower, and if you’re not doing what you love, you’ll feel ungrateful and desperate.

You can break through or break down in all seven areas of life. If you break down, you’re listening to your fearful self, if you break through you’ve listened to your immortal self. But there will always be fears in your life. Fear means you’re growing and challenging yourself beyond your comfort zones.

I have fears almost every day, but I know that fear is an incomplete view of what is happening, so I identify the fear, bring it to completion and balance, and then walk through it. I suggest you do the same.