How do I overcome my fears? Can my fears really hold me back in life? Is it more important to overcome fears or be in a state of comfort? 

Wonderful questions, I personally understand the worry of letting your fears control your life. There is a complexity to the notion of overcoming fears that people do not tend to think about. Fears can be both good and bad for a person’s development. 

Fears are often known for holding you back from experiencing things in life, but it can also help you learn more about yourself and your limits. I personally think there are three types of fears: over-thought fears, experienced fears and instinctive fears. 

Over-thought fears are something that you think about constantly and make yourself scared of. For example, when I was younger, I was always scared of being the last one awake. I thought if I didn’t fall asleep before everyone else I would not be able to sleep, and I knew how important sleep was to development. However, one night I was unable to fall asleep, and I walked into my parents living room. My dad was still awake and asked me why I was still up. I explained my worry to him, and he told me something I will never forget: “Sometimes we don’t sleep, but even if we don’t sleep we can still get rest, and rest is all we need.” 

Experienced fears are caused from experiencing something traumatic and gaining fear for something in that situation. Like if someone were to be witness to a shark attack, it would be reasonable that they would gain a fear of sharks. 

Instinctive fears are derived from your body’s reaction to certain things. It’s similar to trying to put your hand on a lit stove; your body would stop you out of fear and protection. It’s more of a physical fear in your body, rather than your mind. 

Not all fears hold you back from life, but some can hinder your enjoyment. If you are always scared of what could happen, then you will never get the chance to see what will happen. Everyone’s opinion on whether or not to get over a fear is different. I personally do not see a need to get over your fear unless it makes your life harder. However, I do understand trying to live without fear so you can live life to the fullest. There really is no one right solution, it’s all just about point of view.