FEARLESS LIVING

Live Without Excuses and Love Without Regret

Author: Rhonda Britten

Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group
Date of Publication: 2002
ISBN : 0399527532
No. of Pages: 270 pages

About the Author

Wisdom in a Nutshell
Are you a negative thinker? Do you continue to live in the past? Have you
experienced personal trauma that has instilled fear in you?

Rhonda Britten
Rhonda Britten is a Life Coach on the
NBC daytime TV show, "Starting Over."
As the founder of the Fearless Living
Institute, she is considered the global
expert on mastering emotional fears as
well as the author of Fearless Loving: 8
Simple Truths that will Change the Way
You Date, Mate and Relate and
Fearless Living: Live Without Excuses
and Love Without Regret (translated
into 12 languages) where she shares
her groundbreaking model of fear. She
has her own PBS Special, appears
frequently on Montel Williams and has
been profiled internationally in
magazines such as, "Shape UK,"
"Marie Claire AU," and "First for Women
US" and in newspapers like the
"London Sunday Times" and on radio
worldwide. In the United Kingdom,
Rhonda is the Life Doctor on "Help Me
Rhonda," a reality-based TV show that
transforms peoples lives in 30 days.
With two different television shows on
two different continents plus her
nationally viewed PBS Special, Rhonda
has proven that she can take the
mystery out of any challenge for millions
of people and is now revolutionizing the
way the world views fear.

In her book Fearless Living, Rhonda Britten tells you how she overcame her
own personal tragedy and achieved self-confidence and fulfillment. She
provides systematic instruction to help you make huge changes in your life
and your way of thinking.
Learn how to let go of your innermost fears and indecisions.
confidence and take life-changing action!

Regain

Visit http://www.rhondabritten.com/.
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FEARLESS LIVING By Rhonda Britten

The Wheel of Fear

Part 1: What are You Afraid of?

What is Fear?
Rhonda defines fear as the cause and effect of
feelings, thoughts or actions that prohibit you from
accepting yourself and realizing your full potential.
Fear keeps you from moving out of your comfort
zone. It keeps you from feeling alive and keeps you
from seizing the day.
False Perception Based on Fear
Fear can cloud your judgment and create deceptive
results. Fear can leave you with the perception that
you are unloved and unworthy of love. Even when
you are making conscious efforts to stay emotionally
detached.
Sometimes, fear can make you believe that you have
no choice but to accept your life as it is. When you

Fear can leave you with the

perception that you are
unworthy of love.

are afraid to take the risk of changing or possible

rejection, you might even look for evidence to support
your fear.
It is important to realize that looking for evidence to
support your fear will lead you to an endless cycle of
disappointment, rejection and a host of negative
feelings. The author calls this the Wheel of Fear.
The Wheel of Fear keeps you from moving forward
and experiencing new and exciting things. It makes
you settle, also known as surviving, and keeps you
from living. The wheel makes you live in the past
instead of looking forward and enjoying the future.
Fearless Living = Willing to Make Changes
In order to make changes in your life, you must be
willing. You must be willing to do things differently, to
see things in a different light and to experience new
things without fear of disappointment or rejection.

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The Wheel of Fear is shaped by family heritage, an

individual belief system and life experiences. The
evidence you seek to reinforce and support your fears
fuel this wheel of fear. Only when you recognize and
acknowledge your fear will you be in a position to
prevent this endless cycle of self-destruction.
How the Wheel Works
1. Something happens that triggers your fear of
being worthless, unloved, rejected, etc.
2. Your fear response makes you do something
that is meant to ensure that you avoid the
dreaded outcome.
3. You experience the negative feeling of not
being good enough.
4. To numb the emotional pain, you engage in
destructive behavior such as drinking,
smoking, gambling or shutting people out of
your life. This self-destructive behavior
makes you feel even worse than when you
started.
5. The cycle begins again.
Symptoms that Mean You are on Your Wheel of
Fear
1. Impatient
2. Exhausted
3. Self righteous
4. Misunderstood
5. Paranoid
6. Paralyzed
7. Shame
8. Defeated
9. Out of control
10. Confused
11. Overwhelmed
12. Victimized

Wheel of Freedom
In order to get off the Wheel of Fear, you must make a
conscious choice on how to behave instead of
reacting to the situation immediately.
Steps on How to Build Your Wheel of Freedom:
1. Identify your essential nature. What fuels
you? What keeps you going? What is your
passion? What gives you purpose in life?
2. Engage in proactive behavior. Instead of
simply reacting to the situation, do something

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that allows you to get in touch with your
essential nature.
3. Dispel your fear and experience a feeling of
wholeness. Take risks and actions that give
you a sense of fullness and power.
4. Engage in self-affirming behavior. Accept
and give compliments. Take a new hobby or
go back to school.
Signs that You are on the Wheel of Freedom
1. Being Present. You decide to live in the
present and focus on what is happening at
the moment.
2. Acceptance. Instead of complaining, you
find positive things in each opportunity.
3. Inner strength. You stand for yourself, your
ideas and actions.
You make the
commitment to change.
4. Centered. You become more aware of
yourself and your true nature.
5. Empowered. You are focused and have
personal power. You have confidence and
trust in yourself.
6. Detached. You are detached from your
feelings of not being good enough.
7. Abundance. You give and share ideas. You
believe that there is enough love and
support to go around.
8. Energized. Everyday is a new day to
experience new things.
9. S a t i s f a c t i o n . H a v i n g a s e n s e o f
accomplishment.
10. Synchronicity.
This means having
opportunity and timing convergence.

2. Complaining Buddies. They believe that

true misery loves company. These
individuals feed on each other's fears and
maintain the myth that you are powerless to
change the status quo.
3. Puppeteers. They want to manipulate you as
they believe that they know what is best for
you. Examples of puppeteers are stage
moms and little league dads, or parents who
want their children to live the dreams they
once had.
4. Rivals in Disguise.
They seem to be
genuinely helpful but all they want is to keep
you in the rut. Rivals in disguise give you
advice that is deliberately misleading. These
individuals feel threatened by your
competence, talents and skills. They feel
that they need to get you out of the way in
order to have progress of their own.
5. Rearview mirrors. They are the individuals
who keep bringing up the past. These
people harm your growth by never letting you
forget your mistakes and fears.

Your Fearbuster Team

Asking for support from the right people at the right
time makes letting go of fear easier. It is important to
identify the people who share your best interests.
The people who love and support you unconditionally
are the members of your Fearbuster Team.
Fearbuster Team Members

Fear Junkies
Although everyone has a Wheel of Fear, fear junkies
are individuals who project their Wheel of Fear
towards other people. Always remember that
relationships with fear junkies are not good for you.
They keep you from growing and experiencing life.

1. Support Buddies.
They are your
Cheerleaders. They are friends who give
you unconditional love and support no matter
what. They believe in you and never give up
on you even if you have a setback. They
provide encouragement and praise.

Types of Fear Junkies

2. Wise Council. These are friends who are able

to consider your agenda without imposing
their own fears on you. They are always
ready to provide you with a new perspective
on things. Wise councils may be your friends
but they may also be your nutritionist,
accountant, counselor, etc.

1. Dream Drainers. They mirror and reinforce

your own fears. They believe that they are
doing you a favor by protecting you from
disappointment, hurt and rejection. In their
efforts to shield you from pain, they keep
you from achieving your dreams by
constantly telling you how unreachable
your dreams are.

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3. Voices of Experience. They have been down

a similar road and experienced similar
obstacles that you are going through. They

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are the ones that guide you in your
journey. You can also find voices of
experience in organizations such as
Alcoholics Anonymous, Weight Watchers
and other fate-based group.
4. Powerful Partnerships. This relationship
involves long-term commitment. Your
powerful partner can be your spouse,
business partner, your manager or anyone
with whom you team up for an extended
period of time.

Turning Expectations into Intentions

One way to live fearlessly is to turn your weakness
into strengths and your expectations into intentions.
An expectation is what you think should happen. An
intention, on the other hand, is part of your approach
to life based on your essential nature and wholeness.
Intention is living with purpose pro-actively,
responsibly and intuitively. It means living in the
present and accepting what is really going on around
you. It is having a conscious choice on how to react
or behave.
Living with intentions means you are accountable for
your life and your actions. Your life is your
responsibility and no one else's. Do not lay the blame
on others if things don't come out as you planned.
Instead, make the best of the situation.

Part 2: The Fearless Living Program

No Expectations
Expectations can hinder personal growth and
destroy personal and professional relationships.

No Excuses
Sometimes, you may even use your past as an
excuse not to embrace your essential nature. You
may firmly believe that what happened in the past can
occur again; or that your future is tied up with events
in the past. You must remember that what happened
before shaped your past, NOT your future.

You must realize that

things dont always turn out
the way you expect them to.

Excuses can prevent you from realizing your full

potential. It can also be a self-fulfilling prophecy that
keeps the Wheel of Fear spinning.
Real
transformation stems from accepting who you are,
accepting your past and making no excuses.

When you expect something from someone without

formally verbalizing your thoughts, you are setting
yourself up for disappointment.
Expectations that are unspoken, unmet and
unrealistic attach you to your wheel of fear.
Remember that expectations can break marriages,
friendships or any relationship. When expectations
are not met, you might find yourself blaming the
people who are closest to you.
Expecting something from someone means that you
are stuck in the never- ending cycle of wishing,
waiting and hoping. As a result, you are forever
stuck in the past. You will never be able to move on.

You must learn to move beyond your fear and your

past. Let go of who you thought you ought to be, and
forgive everyone that has kept you down including
yourself.
Learning to Let Go
You can start the forgiveness process by doing the
following exercise:
1. Make a forgiveness contract. Write down the
things you want to forgive about yourself and
the names of the people you want to forgive.
Write down what you are willing to do to
enable yourself to forgive, such as seeing
what is good in others.

To live fearlessly, you must realize that things don't

always turn out the way you expect them to. This
will prevent a string of disappointments and
heartaches.

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You can do or read the contract daily to

deepen your willingness and commitment.

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2. Have a letting go ceremony. This is the

process where you let go. Make a list of
people who still make you angry, frustrated
and resentful.

No one is perfect and

everyone makes mistakes.

Pick a name from your list and create two

columns. In the first column, write down
about your hurt, pain and rage. On the
second column, list the reasons why you
still care for that person. Also add your
desire to forgive.
The next step is to find a safe place to burn
the list. As you burn the list, state the
person's name and your intention to let go
and to finally forgive.
3. Make and maintain a life log. This step lets
you take full responsibility for your own life.
Write down what you do all day so that you
can have a clear picture if you are doing
activities that perpetuate your fears.

No Complaining
People regularly make fear-based complaints. They
complain about anything and everything - the
weather, traffic, getting older, etc. A person who is
living life fearlessly makes a conscious effort not to
complain. He turns challenges into opportunities
and makes the best of every situation.
Complaining vs. Venting
Sometimes you need to voice out your frustrations
about a very upsetting situation and you need some
positive feedback and support. This is called
venting. Venting is a positive and productive
process that helps you clear your head and come up
with a solution.
Complaining on the other hand keeps you stuck in
the complaint, and never beyond it. When you
complain, you don't look for solutions or seek

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feedback.
Rules on Venting
1. Pick a venting partner who is supportive and
trustworthy.
2. Explain that you need to vent about
something and ask your partner if he is willing
to talk.
3. Set a limit on venting time.
4. Explain that you need someone to listen and
not to give advice.
5. Get everything off your chest at the allotted
time.
6. Breathe.
7. Ask for support if you need to be reminded
that you are okay and that you'll get though
the negative situation.
8. Thank your partner for his time and support.
9. When you are finished, change the subject or
hang up.
If you want to give up complaining, you must be willing
to turn every negative situation or experience into
opportunities.
Rules for Gratitude:
1. Write down five gratitudes a day.
2. Use the present tense.
3. Eliminate the use of the word not.
4. Be as specific as possible.
5. G r a t i t u d e c a n b e a b o u t y o u r
accomplishments, events, about things other
people do, etc.
6. Gratitude does not have to be grand and
important. It can be significant events.
7. Pick an area to start
8. Be aware of your feelings.

No Beating Yourself Up
One self-limiting behavior is beating yourself up
because you think you should be behaving or working
differently. Putting yourself down keeps you on your
Wheel of Fear by destroying your self-esteem,
courage and confidence.
You must remember that no one is perfect and that
everyone makes mistakes. Living fearlessly means
that you are able to learn from your mistakes and
meet challenges positively.
Accepting Compliments
Accepting compliments are often never easy. Most

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people think that by accepting compliments, they

will be perceived as selfish or arrogant.
Compliments are gifts. They are opportunities for
you and another individual to connect in a positive
way. Learn to accept compliments unconditionally.
If more than one person has seen something
positive in you, accept the trait or compliment as
true.
Acknowledgment
The key to lifting yourself up is through
acknowledgment. It is a way of giving yourself
credit for things you have done. It fuels your
confidence and self-esteem.

risks. You must not fear change or failure. You must

learn to live your life without regret.
Fearless living is about learning to take R.I.S.K.
R - Release your attachment to outcome. It is not
about winning or losing but having the courage to try
something new.
I - Invest fully in your intention. Accomplishments
happen when you invest fully and purposely in
yourself.
S - Stand for truth. Stand for your essential nature
and focus on gratitude and acknowledgment instead
of complaints.
K - Keep kindness a priority. Learn to love yourself
through any situation.

Learn to accept compliments.

Acknowledgment is an amazing tool of selfdiscovery. It gives you the ability to increase your
self-awareness and validates your achievements.
How to Make Acknowledgment Work for You
1. Write at least five acknowledgments
everyday using the present tense.
2. Begin acknowledging yourself in the
area of your life that you have chosen to
focus on.
3. Frame acknowledgment in the positive.
4. Be specific.
5. Keep track of what is easy to write down and
what is hard.
6. Speak your acknowledgments aloud - both
to yourself and to someone you trust.
7. Ask a member of your Fearbuster team to
listen to your acknowledgments.
8. Start expanding this skill by acknowledging
others.

The Fearless Path

Fearless living is about having the courage to take
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