3 Tips To Help You Face Fear
Have you ever doubted yourself? Told yourself you couldn't do it and just give up altogether? I have plenty of times, mainly because of fear, not trusting myself and the gifts God blessed me with. Growing up, I never heard the names Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, or Mary Jackson. Which is mind boggling! In the movie Hidden Figures, which is playing in theaters now, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe respectively play the roles of these women who are the masterminds that got men into space at NASA!
The woman that stands out to me the most is Mary Jackson. She obtained a dual degree in math and physical science from Hampton University in 1942. After two years of working in Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory Segregated West Area Computing section. She was transferred to work for Kazimierz Czarnecki testing models out in the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. Kazimierz Czarnecki suggested that Mary enters the training program so she can be promoted from mathematician to engineer. The training program consisted of taking graduate level math and physics courses. However, since the classes were held at Hampton High School which was segregated at the time, she needed the City of Hampton's approval to attend the after-work courses.
Fear did not stop Mary from going to court and asking to attend the after-work courses. Fear did not stop Mary from being the only black female in that classroom full of white males. Mary held her head high and pushed through any fear she had! She eventually completed her courses and earned the promotion. In 1958 she became NASA's first African-American female engineer!
If she had let fear stop her, she wouldn't have been the first black female engineer at NASA. She could have stayed as a mathematician but she knew she was destined to be an engineer! So she faced any fear she had and worked hard for what she wanted. She used the gift God blessed her with, pushed through any doubts she had, and paved the way for other women!
The reason why I'm sharing this inspirational story with you all is because I know it can be hard getting out of your comfort zone. However, stories like these can remind us why we need to not be afraid to face fear. If we give up on our dreams and the gifts God blessed us with then we won't reach where we are destined to be. We won't pave the way for next generations. We need to work for what we want and not give up. No one is perfect, so we will all probably fail at some point, get criticized and judged. But things like that we should embrace. What doesn't kill us, will just help us grow and get better at what we do. Here are three tips that can help us face fear and move forward!
1. Believe In Yourself
The main reason why a lot of people are stuck in fear is because we don't believe that we are good enough. There have been so many times I have passed on opportunities because I thought I wasn't good enough to do it. If we never realize that we are good enough then we will keep passing on opportunities, which we do not want to happen.
2. Don't Be Scared Of Constructive Criticism
People are generally scared of being criticized, it's just a natural human characteristic. But that's because we always look at criticism as a bad thing. I've learned that criticism can be good and that we should appreciate and learn from it. You shouldn't fear being criticized because that means there is more room for you to grow, and get better at what you do!
3. If You Fail, The Only Way Is Up
Take a minute to look at all the people who are successful today. I will name a few for you; Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and Jay-Z have all failed before succeeding! Not saying that you will fail, but if you do, do not give up!! We honestly have nothing to lose, so why not try! Success might be right around the corner.
So I hope these tips will help you if you're ever stuck in fear. Also, think about women like Dorothy, Katherine, and Mary who didn't let anything or anyone stop them from succeeding. I'm done being afraid, it's time to start believing in myself and putting my trust in God. Let's stop doubting ourselves, and start embracing our talents so we can get where we're destined to be! Thanks for reading! Ta ta for now!
Adore your beauty, Embrace yourself, Confidence is Key!
XoXo Adore Donnie