A few years ago, Susan Jeffers wrote a book called “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.” It’s a powerful book to read but what I love most about it is the mantra she uses to help herself through tough situations. It’s “I’ll handle it.”

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  Yet these three words are all she has needed as she faces her fears.  These three words are her power, because she believes that we aren’t afraid of situations as much as we are afraid we lack the ability to handle them.

Susan has a set of, and these are two of the most important:

Fear rule number 1.

The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow, develop and take new risks and stretch your capabilities. You will always experience fear.

Fear rule number 2.

The only way to get rid of fear for a particular thing is to go out and do it.

These apply to us all. Every day we wake, there is likely to be something to worry about. While we avoid whatever it is, the fear stays and gets stronger.  It’s not until we take action – confront our fear – that we take back control.

Susan says, “I’ll handle it.”

Susan’s mantra is powerful because it helps her manage her mind and her fears. It shapes her mindset from one of panic to one of strength, and it works because it has a track record of being true.

You can handle it, too. 

In fact, you have already “handled it,” facing many fears along the way to the point you are at now. No matter what’s happened, you’ve handled it. Right?

Think about it.

Whether you succeeded or failed at whatever it is you fear, you are still here and still standing.

Yes, we all feel afraid sometimes but if you don’t step outside of your comfort zone, you will never grow or reach the performance level you hope for.

You can be one of the people who stays stuck in a rut because they are afraid to take a risk, or you can be the one who manages their mindset, and finds the courage to make a move.

Create your own mantra.  Repeat it in your mind every day.

Say it every morning when you get up and every night before you sleep. The more often you say it, the stronger it becomes until finally it drowns out the voice in your head that tells you to be afraid….to take no risks… to worry about being unable to handle the consequences. In its place, you have a voice that tells you how strong you are. It has confidence in you.

You CAN handle it.  You CAN cope with whatever comes next.  You CAN take the action you need to so you can achieve your goals.

What might your mantra be?

Here are 20 examples you can use for inspiration:

1. “I am enough!”
2. “The most satisfying time to take the next step is now!”
3. “It’s time to do what’s right, not what’s easy.”
4. “It’s OK to make mistakes.  That’s how I’ll get wiser.”
5. “Your track record for getting through hard days is 100% so far.”
6. “I am 100% control of me.”
7. “I choose my response, and that changes everything.”
8. You must make a firm decision that you’re going to let go and move forward.  It won’t always happen naturally or automatically.  Sometimes you will have to rise up and say, “I don’t care how hard this is.  I don’t care how disappointed I am.  I’m not going to let this get the best of me.  I’m moving on with my life.”
9. “Action conquers fear”
10. “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” – Robert Kiyosaki
11. “If you give your fear legs, it will run away with your dreams.”
12. “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” – Maya Angelou
13. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
14. “Excellence does not require perfection.” – Henry James
15. “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.” – Eat, Pray, Love
16. “If you don’t start somewhere…then I assure you, you’re going nowhere.”
17. “Trust in the process of life.”
18. “Sometimes we have to step out of the box, break it down, and shred it up”- Scenes from a Sistah by Lolita Files
19. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale
20. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” – Albert Schweitzer

If you are happy to share your mantra with us in the comments below, we’d love to read it.  Your mantra might be exactly what someone else needs to read.