In the midst of reviewing the last ten years I suddenly realised that I began my coaching site at the end of 2006, and sent out the first edition of the 5 Minute Life coach in March 2007! That's over 9 years ago. A lot has happened since I first qualified as a coach in 2006.

If you had told me then that I would be doing what I'm doing now, equipping other people to coach, regularly taking part in life changing webinars with giants in the faith, writing coaching guides, creating online classes, and mentoring other coaches, as well as coaching... I would probably have laughed and said that it was impossible.

Back in 2006 I didn't have the confidence I have now, and I would hardly have dared believe that God would use me in the way that He does.

So much would never have been if I had given in to fear and if I had said no when I was given amazing opportunities that I didn't feel prepared for, or qualified to say yes to.

I couldn't have done it without God. I've learned to lean on him, and trust Him when I can't see the way ahead, knowing that when He calls, He provides, and that He is well able to make a way where there doesn't seem to be a way.

I encourage you to say yes to God, and refuse to let fear hold you back.

If fear of failure is keeping YOU from stepping out and doing things that the Lord has put on your heart to do, it's time to break through the fear barrier. The truth is that

"You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you."

Fear starts as a thought. To overcome fear, you need to remind yourself of what God has said, change the way you look at things, and change the way you think about them. Ask God to show you what He sees.

Fear is rarely a reflection of your current reality; it's usually a result of anticipating negative future events that may not ever happen.

Fears have a way of mushrooming when you keep thinking about them; they seem bigger than they really are.

When you stop feeding fearful thoughts, they lose their power.

"Cast down imaginations, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ"

The thing you fear the most is often the one thing that's standing in the way of what you REALLY want. Please don't let fear rule your life.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'feel the fear and do it anyway'; it is possible to feel fear, yet move past it, and go for what you want regardless. You can learn to say no to fear and step out in faith.

In the past I've let fear hold me back from doing many things that I really wanted to do. I eventually decided that I'd been robbed for long enough, and it was time to do something about it.

I didn't want to get to the end of my life and be full of regrets for all the things I hadn't done. I decided it was time to face my fears and push past them.

When I stopped to think about it, I realised that the things I feared rarely actually happened. Then, I started to ask myself, "What's the worst thing that could happen if I did ...?" "Would that REALLY be so bad?"

I began to realise that I'd been letting ridiculous things stop me from stepping out of my comfort zone. And I had a choice. I could carry on being afraid and let those fears stop me from doing things, or I could face the fears and go ahead and do things in spite of feeling afraid.

So I made a decision that I wouldn't let fear of failure stop me any longer.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

I encourage you to press on and do whatever needs to be done, and if necessary, do it afraid. The key is to recognise the fear for what it really is and refuse to let it hold you back from going after your God given dreams. The antidote to fear is faith.

• Develop a clear strategy for overcoming your fear
• Start taking action
• Feed faith
• Do something every day towards overcoming fear

When you start taking action the fear will begin to lose its power. Ask the Lord for help, keep focused on your plan, and take action every day.

"Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear … is fear itself." Franklin D Roosevelt

Fears will probably resurface from time to time; they have a habit of creeping up on you when you're not expecting them.

Just tell them that you're not going to listen to them, take a deep breath, reach out to God, and dare to live life the way you want to live it. You have better things to do than to live scared.

When you step out of your comfort zone and start to do things that you've been afraid of doing you soon begin to discover that the fear was bigger than the thing itself and there really wasn't anything to be afraid of. Things are rarely as bad as you think.

Don't let fear rob you of your dreams. Keep pushing through and silence your fears forever.

The only known cure for fear is faith.

Take a look at Build Your Faith where you'll find Scriptures to feed faith, and help you believe that you really can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

If you're looking to transform your own life, or if you want God to use you to make a difference in other people's lives, I invite you to seriously consider joining me for Christian life coach training, so that you can get crystal clear about things, create a blueprint, and TRANSFORM YOUR OWN LIFE while being equipped to help other people have breakthroughs. You'll find details here.

Be blessed to be a blessing

Lynne

P.S. Because I really want you to have a breakthrough I've deeply discounted one of my coaching programs.

My 16 week coaching program A Renewed You is available at a VERY SPECIAL price.

This is an ideal opportunity equip yourself to make LASTING changes without breaking the bank.

Leave indecision behind and make 2106 the year when YOU have increased confidence, courage and renewed purpose. You'll find the details of my very special offer here.

Have you checked out my How To Hear God book on Amazon yet? I wrote it with you in mind. Many people tell me that as a result of reading the book that the Lord called me to write, and putting what they learn into action, they are enjoying a closer walk with God. My prayer is that you will be encouraged and equipped to reach for more, and walk in the fullness of life that Jesus won for you.

If you'd like to learn how to hear God more clearly so you can live life with God's insight and wisdom, you'll find this coaching guide a BIG help.

If you'd appreciate more regular updates and being able to connect with me more easily, I invite you to join me on Facebook where you'll find daily encouragement and inspiration.

How you can support this ministry

You can help me to help others by PRAYING as the Lord leads. I need wisdom, support, and encouragement to be able to continue serving the many people from all over the world who benefit from the resources they find on my coaching site.

Lynne Lee is a Christian life coach and life coach trainer, who helps people to see themselves through God'e eyes and live life as He intended.