EVERY year on Dec 10, the world celebrates Human Rights Day. One of the key components of human rights is to live life free from fear.
In Malaysia, we're blessed with freedom. No one is living in fear of the government, the authorities and even their neighbours. The same cannot be said in many other unstable countries.
Yes, we don't live in fear on a national level, but are we truly free? Is there anything that still holds us back on a personal level from reaching our true potentials? Are we afraid of something that may hinder our personal, as well as national progress? Let's explore some of the fears that may be holding us back.
FEAR OF CHANGE
The world is constantly changing and we'll be left behind if we don't follow suit. But change is never easy. It requires us to move out of our comfort zone and enter the courage zone. It requires a lot of effort, not to mention taking some risks and trying new things.
Some people do fear change. They feel paralysed and intimidated by changing circumstances. However, to move forward, they must free themselves of this fear. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing." It aptly highlights the consequences of being unwilling to embrace change.
FEAR OF FAILURE
Perhaps the fear of change stems from one's fear of failure. No one likes to fail. The world hasn't always treated failures kindly. In fact, it celebrates winners only. All these factors will stack up against anyone thinking of trying new things.
Unfortunately, by not trying, that's a failure in itself. We'll never know the outcome, good or bad. "You'll always miss 100 per cent of the shots you don't take," says Wayne Gretzky, one of Canada's greatest ice hockey players.
We must believe that failure is just another valuable lesson on how not to do something. Take failure as a stepping stone for changes.
FEAR OF BEING HURT
Closer to home, there's another fear that prevents relationships from blooming to the full. It's fear of being hurt. Many people withdraw themselves from an otherwise happy relationship after experiencing a few heartbreaks. They're afraid to love again for fear of going through another pain.
Unfortunately, this is just like running away from a problem. To enjoy love to the maximum, expect some risks of getting hurt. At the same time, learn to minimise the risk by doing our part to make our loved ones happy. Yes, feelings may be hurt once in a while, but in the long journey of happiness, they're just little blips on the road.
We have plenty of reasons to rid ourselves of these shackling fears. Be courageous enough not to just embrace change, but to excel in it. We must not let the risk of failures stop us from trying new things because the consequences can be worse.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to love fully, even if we may be hurt one day, because that's the only way to true happiness. And there's no better time than now to truly free ourselves from all fears.
Zaid Mohamad coaches and trains others to bring out their best while enjoying a peaceful, purposeful life. Reach him at coach@zaidmohamad.com.