A Short Story To Inspire You To Overcome Fear and Anxiety

Here’s a motivational short story to inspire you to overcome fear – so you can bravely go about your day with courage to do hard things. 

If you want to live a life you love, you must develop mental toughness and confidence.

You must be brave and confident so you can make the best courageous choices when it comes to designing a life which is true to who you are.

For many reasons, fear should be re-named “inter-fear”

After all, fear is constantly interfering with you getting what you want in life.

Fear can sneak into your day in numerous ways – creating problems which block happiness and success.

Or as I like to say:

• The best things in life come at the exit ramp of your comfort zone!

Here’s a short story on how to overcome fear

Note: This short story on overcoming fear is excerpted from my bestselling and Oprah recommended book, “How To Be Happy Dammit.”

Dope on a Rope (motivation to overcome fear)

There once was this criminal who had committed a crime

(Because, hey, that’s what criminals do. That’s their job!)

Anyway, he was sent to the king for his punishment.

The king told him he had a choice of two punishments.

He could be hung by a rope.

Or take what’s behind the big, dark, scary, mysterious iron door.

The criminal quickly decided on the rope.

As the noose was being slipped on him, he turned to the king and asked:

“By the way, out of curiosity, what’s behind that door?”

The king laughed and said:

“You know, it’s funny, I offer everyone the same choice, and nearly everyone picks the rope.”

“So,” said the criminal, “Tell me. What’s behind the door? I mean, obviously, I won’t tell anyone,” he said, pointing to the noose around his neck.

The king paused then answered:

“Freedom, but it seems most people are so afraid of the unknown that they immediately take the rope.”

I love how this story encourages people to overcome fear.

It offers a powerful reminder about the dangers of clinging to the familiar.

Yes, unfortunately, too many of us live our lives choosing the familiarity of our rope (aka: familiar pain, familiar struggle, familiar patterns).

Too many of us are far too fearful about the unknown.

But if you want to live your best life, you must embrace the freedom of picking new choices for being and doing.

After all, it’s these new choices which can open the door to your ultimate happiness.

Alan Watts, said it well when he said: “Our lives are one long effort to resist the unknown.”

The result?

We’re a planet full of folks walking around with metaphysical ropes around our necks, wondering why we feel a bit emotionally and spiritually dead to the world around us.

Today decide to have the courage to push past your fears!

• Make the decision to finally take off those ropes that bind you – and blind you!
• Start bravely opening up those doors which lead to the unfamiliar.
• Recognize: When nothing changes, then nothing changes.
• Plus know: If you keep doing what you’re always doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re always getting.
• Remember: Opening up doors to the unknown is the only way to ensure you’re headed towards new opportunities, freedom, growth, and greater joy. You’ll see.
• Another notable example of fear is procrastination. For example, students often postpone doing their homework and projects. The seat of their trouble: fear of failure. And so students have to face their fears head on in order to start overcoming writing procrastination and achieve academic success.

Get further motivation to overcome fear

The above motivational story about moving through fear is excerpted from my bestselling & Oprah recommended book, How To Be Happy Dammit

This inspiring books merges Psychology, Biology, Eastern Philosophy, Western Philosophy, Quantum Physics, and the Zen of Bazooka Joe. Plus it’s designed with stylish graphics! AND…this book was an instant runaway bestseller – selling over 350,000 copies!