From the author: About fears and overcoming them. Personal experience. In general, I am a rare coward. I'm afraid of many things. If you list all the fears, there won’t be enough paper, and it’s a waste of time. :)But for example...I'm afraid to fly on airplanes. Although I fly. How else can I visit, say, Italy or Greece? I’m afraid to speak in front of an unfamiliar audience. Although I do this twice a month, no less. But it’s still somehow exciting every time. I’m afraid of spiders. This is truly fear. The real one is like that. Spiders with furry legs, with a mouth full of spider teeth, with a nasty lower part, in which it is unclear what is in it, and if you crush it, then... In general, it’s terribly disgusting. It seems that I’m the only one? No, hurray! There are many of us. There are no completely fearless people. Of the adequate ones, of course. At least everyone I know in my life is afraid of something. Therefore, my cry from the soul would be incomplete if I did not tell about my own experience of overcoming fears. So, I’m sharing. The first method: tell. Let's say I'm afraid to conduct new training. I’m prepared, I know the topic, I’ve conducted other trainings. What am I doing? I tell everyone about my fear (relatives, friends, I’m writing an article). I describe in colors exactly how afraid I am, what my fear is (a shapeless dark mass that engulfs me, preventing me from thinking and moving). And even before a performance, sometimes I say this to the audience: you know, I’m a little worried. The more you tell, the less fear, and sometimes it goes away completely. We talked about him, and he became more familiar or something, more ordinary. :) Second method: reduce the portion of fear from the very beginning. The longer I wait to take an exam or visit the dentist, the more fearful I become. What I do: I go first! Or the second one. But definitely not in the last row. I got my tooth fixed in the morning and am free all day. Moreover, what is important, I freed myself from fear! The third method: “simmer” in fear. Believe it or not, I used to be afraid of standing out with my clothes (by the way, maybe this became an unconscious reason to go to a stylist). And now I’ve been in this field for 6 years. I have seen the most unimaginable styles and color combinations, every season I study trends, including, to put it mildly, very surprising ideas from designers. Those. no fear. And when it suddenly arises, I tell myself: you’re a stylist, you can do it! :)Fourth method: find bonuses. Let’s say if I get brave and start talking to a new person, this will lead me to useful cooperation, good earnings, and mutual friendship. Or, if I fly to an unfamiliar country, it will give me luxurious experiences, beautiful photographs, vivid memories. Or, if I jump with a parachute, it will give me... Although, to jump with a parachute - it’s still hard for me to find bonuses here. But everything is ahead! Because if you think about it, your biggest fear should be the fear of “never trying.” The idea is, of course, not new. But it’s precisely this that hits the back of the head like a strong, cheerful orange every time a feeling of panic or fear of the unknown appears. And then it’s up to you to decide for yourself: to take advantage of the opportunity or bury yourself in your favorite fear. I wish you courage! Stylist-image maker Irina Ergina