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What is the greatest fear of man? Is it death? Pain? Poverty? Physical ailments? Loneliness? Surveys tell us that the number one fear among modern people is public speaking, of all things!

What is fear? We all know what it feels like, but what exactly is it? The dictionary defines fear as A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread; to be anxious or solicitous for. That sounds rather ominous, and it is. Now, what are we going to do about it?

Fear, however, can also be a positive emotion. Fear can also induce an adrenalin rush enabling us to rise to the demands of a particular situation. It could be the extra you need to run from the mugger, to sing in front of the crowd, to burst through the defensive line of the opposing team, to ask your boss for a raise and so on.

Fear manifests itself physically, often as a knot in the bottom of our stomach, as that tension headache in the lower region on the back of our skull, as subtle to massive perspiration levels across our bodies or dozens of other physical sensations. Is fear real? Sometimes, it is a result of very real and threatening circumstances, while at other times it is simply the resulting emotions caused by our apprehension and negative expectations concerning a certain activity, event or outcome. They feel the same however. Our bodies react in the same manner whether the fear is real or imagined.

Consider the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real. The letters spell fear, but what is the message? The obvious message is that whether or not the situation is real or imagined, our mind sees it as the same occurrence and our physical reaction is identical. Knowing this, we can now go to work.

Many years ago, Mark Twain said Do the thing that you fear and the death of fear is certain. He was as exactly right then as he is for today, as truth never changes. I have found through personal experience that if you are fearful about a certain event or situation, there are steps that you can take to make it more logical and less emotional. In other words, identify the false evidence that is appearing real and you are on your way to reducing that situations negative hold on you. Removing or reducing the negative emotion by identifying the false evidence will enable you to have the courage to do the thing that you fear.

For example, assume that you were called upon by your boss to do a three-month research project and present your findings and representations to the board. After you outwardly and confidently accept the assignment, your first gut reaction may likely be sheer panic! Right now, you are probably paralyzed with fear and shaken to the core. Where do you go from here? How on earth can you muster the fortitude to proceed?

Lets break down this project and look at it rationally. These same steps can be used with little modification to address a wide variety of circumstances. For the purposes of this paper, lets assume that you are quite capable of accumulating the data and extrapolating the results into a written report format and you now have concluded that portion of your assignment. What next?

1. Relax. Take a deep breath, hold for a 4 second count and exhale slowly. Repeat 4 times.

2. Close your eyes. Know that God gave you ample ability to do this. Be thankful.

3. On a blank sheet of paper, draw a line down the center so that you now have two columns.

4. Label column one as Positives and column two as Negatives.

5. Identify your negative emotions and write each one in the Negatives column. Write in detail as necessary. Clearly identify each feeling that you have relative to the assignment.

6. In the Positives column, write your strengths. Include your positive emotions. Examples: Do you have a pleasant voice? Is your work often complimented? Do people like you?

7. What are the likely outcomes from the assignment? Will you be promoted when you deliver your presentation? Will you receive a 20% salary increase? Will you literally die a horrid death if you deliver a poor presentation? Will they boo and heckle you in the boardroom? Be realistic. Examine the facts. What is the evidence supporting each possible outcome?

8. Identify the False Evidence Appearing Real. Does it look as threatening to you now in light of your recent analysis?

9. Study your audience. What do you know about each board member? Remember, they are also human beings just like you. They probably value their health and families too, just like you do. What types of presentations are they used to. What do they favor? Each board members personal assistant can most likely answer these questions for you.

10. Plan your presentation. Make an outline using your expected time allotment. Determine which presentation tools, if any, that you will utilize. Do you need a drawing pad, a projector, a laptop or any other aid? Plan for all contingencies.

11. Rehearse your presentation several times until you are comfortable with it. Remember to do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain. Rehearse again.

12. Remember, especially just before your actual presentation, that you and only you are now the expert on this particular subject within the confines of the boardroom. Be confident.

Remember what that famous 1960s-70s philosopher, Broadway Joe Namath, had to say in one of his commercials; Look sharp, feel sharp Be sharp. Broadway Joe understood how to advance in the face or fear or adversity. He must have read Mark Twain.

These principles, altered slightly to fit any given situation, will always take the sting out of fear. Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain. That is absolute truth that does not change with the passage of time.

Daniel Sitter

Daniel Sitter has been a student his entire life. He continues to assimilate and synthesize knowledge from dozens of sources and a wealth of personal experiences over a twenty five year period into material that he draws inspiration from. He has been fascinated by the workings of the human brain and various learning strategies in particular. He often ponders why it is that some people are more receptive to change, are more productive and earn substantially more than others, even within the same industry. He has observed that many people are frustrated that they find learning to be a difficult and tediously slow process and he seeks solutions to their dilemma.

The author has attended dozens of seminars presented by the foremost authorities on human performance, personal development, psychology, sales, family, manufacturing and business. He enjoys the viewpoints of others and has absorbed their accumulated knowledge at each event. He has read and listened to dozens of books and audio programs in a variety of disciplines. Fueled by an insatiable hunger for knowledge and personal development, Dan continues to apply the principles he has learned into all aspects of his life on a daily basis. The results are continuously evident.

Dan has a wealth of business, sales and marketing experience in the technical fields. He has made a career in the mechanical/electrical engineering industries as an automation/fluidpower specialist. He holds a BS degree from the University of Akron, but he is quick to point out that his real education actually began after his formal education had concluded. An advocate of continuing education, Dan is always feeding his mind with new material that can help him to be continuously growing beyond his current comfort zone. He has designed and written numerous industry newsletters, business and personal development articles, various marketing materials and has authored the popular, breakthrough e-book, Learning For Profit, which teaches principles for accelerated learning and personal growth.

His hobbies are guitars, music, Shotokan karate, computers and electronics. An avid musician, Dan has played in a number of bands over the years and has written and performed dozens of original songs.

A devoted family man, Dan has been married for 21 years, has teenage children, a dog and a cat. He enjoys working out, family dinners on Sunday, relaxing trips to the beach and eating spicy ethnic foo