Table of Contents

Part 1 - Our Experience of Fear The Nine Laws of Fear 1. What is Fear The two elements of fear The NLP approach to fear The physiology of fear 2. Fear - Friend or Foe? Positive intention Authentic fear Unreal fear Types of unreal fear Social reactions to fear How not to deal with fear Measure your fears 3. Learning and Unlearning Fears How we learn unreal fears Children's fears Enjoyable fear Unlearning fear 4. The Language of Fear Talking yourself into fear Telling other people Affirmations Is fear compulsory? Our relationshop with fear Metaphor Part II UNREAL FEAR - FEAR AS FOE 5. Fear in Time The circles test Unreal fear in the past Fears of the future Worry 6. Common Fears That Hold Us Hostage Fear of flying Fear of authority Fear of success Fear of dentists and doctors Fear of heights Fear of elevators Fear of death 7. Unquiet Times and Turbulent Minds Dangerous places Personal safety Laws and safety Danger and the media Social anxiety and stress 8. Social Fears Change Time pressure Appearances Fear of the future Information Choice 9. The Pressure To Achieve: The Price of Perfection Self-sabotage Excuses Other people's opinions Blame Beliefs Failure and feedback Fear of failure Performance anxiety Metaphors of failure 10. Dealing With Change: The Uncertain Future Changes with no choice The changes we choose External and internal change Tolerance of change Major changes Loss Habits Change and resources Rationalization and procrastination The fear cycle Transition Part III Authentic Fear -Fear as Friend The Nine Laws of Safety 11. Fear As A Sign To Take Action You need authentic fear The Darwin awards 12. How We Assess Safety and Risk How do you know you feel safe? Assume risk or assume safety? What do you need to feel safe? Risk 13. Acting on Fear: When to Heed the Warning Warning Signals Denying fear Predicting violence Danger signals The attribution error 14. Trust and Intuition: Your Two Guides Level of trust Three types of trust Reference experiences Learning from experience Intuition PART IV Finding Freedom - Techniques to Overcome Our Fears 15. The Value Behind the Fear The value under the fear Self-esteem The value of respect Fear of looking stupid Fear of commitment 16 Dealing With Fear in the Body Controlling your feeling of fear Controlling fear through breathing Controlling fear through feeling Controlling fear through relaxation 17. Dealing With Fear in the Mind How does this work in practice? Types of resources 18. Freedom From Social Anxiety The Hydra of social fears Beheading the Hydra Life in the present moment 19. Emotional Freedom: Here and Now Opening doors Courage Appendix 1: Thinking about Thinking with NLP Appendix 2: Summary of Skills for Freedom References Bibliography About the Author

About the Author

Joseph O'Connor is one of the world's leading coaches and consultants in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). He was awarded the medal of the National Communicty Leadershipo Institute in Singapore and spent five years focusing on helping musicians overcome performance anxiety. A Master Trainer, he is also the co-founder and president of the International Coaching Community, a worldwide network of trained coaches. Originaly from London, he moved Brazil at the beginning of 2002 to start the coaching company Lambent do Brasil in Sao Paulo. He is the author of sixteen books published in twenty-five languages, including Introducing NLP, which has sold over 100,000 copies.

Reviews

Joseph O'Connor takes the fear out of our fears. He has a knack for making complex ideas understandable and for laying out practical strategies." Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Words That Change Minds "With uncommon knowledge and authority, Free Yourself From Fears gives us a fresh view on coping with our everyday anxieties. In plain language O'Connor combines the analytical with the intuitive and does it with heart. Therapists, managers and communicators in all fields will use his practical exercises for overcoming fears for years to come." Michael Colgrass, Pulizter Prize-winning composer & NLP Trainer "This book is an excellent example of Joseph O'Connor's elegant, enriched writing style and conveys pertinent, powerful learning for dealing with the fears of the volatile world in which we live today." Sue Knight, author of NLP at Work "It has been said that the two great emotions are love and fear, and that they form the foundation for all others. Fear tends to be the source of most of the difficult feelings we experience. Learning to deal with fear is thus one of the most important life skills a person can learn. In Free Yourself From Fears Joseph O'Connor provides a wealth of knowledge and tools to help people better understand their fears and transform them into positive actions. As with his previous books, Joseph demonstrates his great gift for presenting rich and complex knowledge in a form that is both practical and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to move more easily and confidently through life." Robert Dilts author of From Coach to Awakener and Changing Belief Systems With NLP "Joseph O'Connor has done a fine job articulating an area that is everyone's concern - fear. Joseph introduces us to fear as friend, as foe and as figment of our imagination. Using metaphors and a multitude of real life examples, he conducts a comprehensive exploration of fear's myriad masks and manifestations in our lives. With each fear - from flying to failure to the future (and so many more) - his mastery of the material reassuringly and resourcefully leads us ultimately to fear's true twin - freedom." Charles Faulkner co-author of NLP: The New Technology of Achievement