Feel the Fear... and Do It Anyway: Dynamic Techniques for Turning Fear, Indecision, and Anger into Power, Action, and Love

I listen to books on my kindle (I turn on "text to speak") as I get ready in the morning for work. I've listened to this book twice now. I swear, I will probably listen to it countless more times. It's amazing how powerful this book is for me. I've struggled with depression most of my life, I am currently going through a divorce, & living alone for the first time in my life. I was, & at times I still feel like a lost puppy...I had a pretty unique life, I lived with my mother, we moved a lot, I was sexually abused by one of very few male figures in my life...I never had many friends (we moved too much for me to get close to people), & my mother was emotionally unavailable. To this day she is not emotionally available, but I accept her as she is, & that took years to learn how to do...the point of me putting my life story out there is because no one in my life cared about me, in any way shape or form. My mom couldn't wait for me to get married, she just about signed for me to marry my then 21 year old boyfriend when I was 15, because I think she could not wait to get rid of me, her "burden" off of her chest. So, when I did finally get married a few years ago, I thought my life's mission was accomplished, I was married, that was what I was supposed to do in my life, if I ever wanted my mother to be proud of me...I was never around anyone in my life that told me "feel the fear, & do it anyway", no one said "you can do this, keep going forward"...I didn't have that. I feel like I was raising myself, I raised myself emotionally, I gave myself pep-talks to be able to make it through new schools a few new ones every year, stomach aches of worry when my mom would be freaking out, concerned about bills or whatever else she had going on in her life... Severe neglect, that's what I'd say my life was. I had maybe 2 friends through my entire school career, real friends, that is. And, we moved so much, I never even kept in touch. Anyway, the point is, that when you grow up without someone there telling you that you can do whatever you want, you can be whatever you want, you are great, you are amazing, even amazing people get scared...you don't assume those things. I have had irrational fears, sooooooooooooo many, I was scared of the dark, scared of Michael Myers (as if this fictional character was going to come after me...seriously, I was afraid he was, I know it probably sounds so ridiculous to the average person, but I've been to therapy, these fears come from trauma & basically the things I went through growing up)...sometimes I never thought I'd be able to get past all of the fears that crippled me. I've been wanting to go back to school, & get my degree, but school was very hard for me, I am anti-social, & going to school was traumatizing in itself for me, with all that was going on in the background of my life, school was just as torturous to me...I never had any friends, I wasn't the cool kid, I ate lunch alone a lot...it was awful.I signed up to go to school a few years ago, I made it to the parking lot that first day, burst into tears...turned around & went home...cried for hours, nearly committed suicide...these feelings run very deep, & it's hard to move forward when there is so many painful memories of the past.Anyway, with this book, I feel like I'm very close to being able to have the courage to go back. I think a few more times of listening to this book, & I'll actually be able to do it. But overall, this book makes me less afraid of life. That again is probably not what most people want this book for, but me not being afraid of life, that is monumental, I was afraid that I was not a real person/woman without being married or a wife, the one thing I'd idolized my whole life (I was taught to), to be married. I survived, & everyday is a new day & journey, & you never know where life might take you. I feel great when I read this book, I'll keep reading, whenever I have something I want to achieve, I will read it again - this is a timeless book, & I'm thankful I found it.

Some context: I am on page 84 of 167. I am age 60 and have had a useful career as a professional. Even so, there is still pervasive and paralyzing fear. Can I retire? Why do I feel so unsatisfied? Why do I feel “behind” or out of touch? I don’t like the way the world is changing, do I have to change with it? I want to keep earning, but a I really don’t feel like learning “new fangled” stuff. Will we have enough money? Etc etc….From my view, this is an outstanding book and every chapter thus far has provided valuable insights that I will be required to read again, then again and then again. I am not going to beat myself up, but this book has pinpointed so many of my areas of weakness that it is uncanny. The first read, which I am still navigating, provides the possibilities and the hope. I see I can improve and grow….but I have to reiterate that you will need to read this book over and over to continue burning the concepts in….it is work.Given all of that, I would say this is the best book of analysis and self-help I personally have read and I have read A LOT! I say that because I differentiate between platitudes and straight talk and actionable skills to learn. There are many “cheerleading” books and those also are valuable….and there is some cheerleading in this book as well, but there is also a heck of a lot of straight talk and actionable content.I certainly don’t like some parts of the book - for instance the part accepting of leaving children while one goes back to school. I don’t know what age the children were so there could be some conjecture on my part, but if an individual wants children, my take is that a parent needs to be there for 18 years….sure, when they are 18 then go back and grow and make the world your stage.I can’t recommend this book enough even after only half of it - and I will be reading this one in Perpetuity….a confident 5 out of 5 stars.Thank You Dr Jeffers for a brilliant work….

Outstanding book! One of the best books I have read on this topic. Dr. Jeffers explains the concept of fear so concisely and then offers many practical strategies. This will be my new “Go to” resource as I continue to navigate life.

I read this book on the suggestion of one of my teachers. It is a very easy-to-read book. I enjoyed the easy conversational tone and the simple techniques that can be implemented right away. Most of the advice is obvious but when paired with the exercises I think that the book could be quite helpful in overcoming the fear of making life changes. I would recommend this to anyone looking to make changes in their lives but they don't have weeks and lots of money to take in-person courses.

A strong , powerful and life changing book , just need to read and practice each chapter before moving to next , in two last chapter that author is talking about higher power you need to have some experience with that higher power other wise those chapters would be meaningless

Quite simply, one of the best books on ‘self help’ you can buy, and I’m trying not to exaggerate. If you have ever felt dependent on someone else for your happiness - a hole in your life by their loss, in death or through walking away - have wondered why you feel a certain negative way, don’t understand how some people are more ‘whole’ in their life than you are in yours, how people are more confident than others, how people get more done than others, how people are intrinsically more joyful than others despite their condition - and I reckon I’m appealing to a lot of people...you need to read this book. This explores and teaches in a highly practical way, the truths of life and of motivation, of how to use yourself to your own advantage and how by changing your mindset you can change your entire world and make it precisely how you want. This needs to be read by all.

The overall theme of the book is a good one. I like the idea that we should not ignore fear or nerves, but appreciate that they're normal emotions in any given situation. BUT the author takes her message of empowerment too far in saying that the individual has complete and total control over their emotional responses to external factors. That, I'm afraid, is complete rubbish. And her efforts to try and paint suffering from cancer as being an opportunity to find joy is actually quite offensive. I mean, i understand the point she's trying to make, in that it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom but she takes it way too far.Sometimes bad stuff happens and it will totally ruin your life/ mood/ day, and yet the author would say that this reaction is solely your own fault.What could have been a decent realistic self help book was undermined massively by this naive pink and fluffy outlook.

What a load of tripe. This has got to be the worst self help book that I've ever read.Feel massively ripped off.It just doesn't get started. The whole book is an intro with no real substance. Ptttf!

By now I have realised that many self help books cover the same ground. It is all to do with "positive thinking". In other words common sense tells us that if we are positive about things,then life is happier, life is easier. In today's world we all suffer from stress and expectations. I would love to be able to put a positive spin on why the washer just broke down and flooded the kitchen... but in reality we see this as just another kick when your down.The authors words will resonate with everyone. You have to change the way you view things and realise that fear is a feeling you create within yourself.Accept the feeling of fear but then do not give it anymore attention.Instead play your favourite dance music or watch a comedy. I hope you all find your inner peace.

Got this book delivered today and almost finished it already. Could not put it down. I am recently going through a separation and obviously feel anxious about the future and where my place is at the moment. But reading this book has made me realise that there is a life there for me to still live and enjoy things. The way the book is written speaks to a lot of things I’ve been through in my life and always doubted myself in terms of doing new things like changing jobs or cutting negative people out of my life. This book changes the way you think and for me I am definitely going to be facing my fear and do things anyway.