Ever wondered about the role that words plays when it comes to dealing with fear and insecurity?

I began to discuss how fear had limited and denied me certain opportunities as I grew up in Moments-With-D-Episode 2. I know we all have our fair share when it comes to fear. No man is immune to it, but what differentiates every one of us is the ability to look fear in the eye and say that it does not have what it takes to limit us.

So, on in 100 level, I remember this episode. We had just gained admission, and I remember battling with this fear that I was not going to make it.

How did I get here?

I was given admission to study mathematics education. I chose it because I felt it was a subject I loved and would excel at.

During the first few weeks, I met an older friend who started to ask questions about how I came about studying mathematics.

After he heard that I chose the course myself, he asked what my grades were in my Secondary School Certificate Examinations. I told him I had Cs in all my science subjects.

You can imagine the shock on his face when he heard I still wanted to study mathematics!

“Your chances are slim,” he said.

“That course needs someone with a very strong background in mathematics.” “I have struggled with mine till now.”

I took it all in and savored every bit of it. I allowed him to pass on his insecurities and fears to me, and I took his reality as mine.

Guess what happened from that moment on?

Fear took over, and I began to have issues in class. And seeing that I had battled self-esteem issues for so long, it became worse.

I began to feel inadequate, and passing became very difficult for me.

A friend and I were talking in class one day, and I told him I wasn’t sure I had what it took to do well because of my background.

I remember those days when I would struggle with fear and self-esteem issues. I never saw myself as good enough. I’ve always felt that everyone around me is better than me, and I let this consume me for a long time.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever had a friend or someone in your life who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.

This is one part of my life I will always be grateful for: friends.

He then asked, “Who told you that lie?”

I replied, “It is not a lie but my reality.”

Then I started telling him about my fears, justifying why I thought I was never good enough and why I can’t take on certain opportunities because of fear and inadequacy.

I loved how he allowed me to talk and sell my points to the point where I sounded more convinced than when I started. The strange thing was, he never bought into it because, according to him, they were lies I had held on to for too long and that had limited me in too many ways.

Then he opened a part of the scriptures I had never seen in that light before: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

It was like a scale fell off my eyes, and I began to see myself in that light and in reality.

That was the beginning of a breakthrough for me; the words hit! I began to see myself in a different light.

Apart from knowing that the destination God was taking me to needed a far more daring and outgoing person, I also needed to hear these words so that I could be empowered to take on that responsibility.

To end my story, I graduated with a very good grade… The exciting part is I rarely have Bs or Cs in our departmental courses, a course someone told me I might never excel in!

I broke the chains of fear and put in the hard work.

The truth is, as we go up the ladder, situations will always show up that will make us afraid, but as I said earlier, it is your responsibility to face your fears so they do not limit you. Be careful of the people you surround yourself with. Be careful of the words you absorb; they can either make or break you.

So I say, when you are afraid, do it afraid!

You are more capable than you think.

#fear #words #powerofwords #courage

Damilola Oluwadahun

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