You have an enemy. It is a cruel enemy, full of cunning and without a care for you or your ambitions. It is relentless and it will never stop wreaking havoc with you by spoiling your dreams and plans for a better, happier life. It has one purpose: security. You can't see it. You can't touch it. But you will feel the pain it causes unless you know how to fight it.

The name of this destructive, invisible enemy? Fear.

Let me make a guess about you. Throughout your life, you've had many fantastic opportunities come your way. Each time an opportunity was presented, somehow, some way, you missed out. And if you're like me, the frustration was compounded when others seized the moment and made the most out of an opportunity you rejected.

Here's another problem: as the years go by, you look back on these occasions with regret. You think about chances missed, about a path never chosen that could've lead to a garden of happiness and fulfilment. A different life, a life you dreamt of, a life you dearly wish that you had lived. But alas, you chose a different path, a path chosen by the many. A secure path bereft of excitement and adventure, but also bereft of risk and danger.

The secure life. A life where you know where you are and what tomorrow brings. This is the path chosen by the majority of people and of course, when you choose to follow the majority, you get what the majority get: a secure, but risk free life, where happiness levels are minimal and excitement and fulfilment are virtually non-existent.

Security. Safety. Conformity.

So, why didn't you take the path filled with risk, adventure and excitement? What stopped you from choosing a different course in life, a life - if you'll be totally honest with me - that in your heart of hearts you really wished you were living right now?

It's all to do with your invisible enemy fear. Fear is like a computer virus. Once fear has invaded your mind, it will spread its destructive influence throughout all areas of your life. Your imagination in particular, is susceptible to its force. Imagination is one of your most powerful forces and it can either spur you on to great things or it can corrupt each and every opportunity that comes your way by giving vent to your fears.

Let me give an example. You've been given an opportunity to do the job you've always wanted. However, you'll need to relocate to another area on the other side of the country. It's a big chance, you'll earn a very good salary, you'll do something you enjoy and you'll grow and develop far more than you could in your present role.

Sounds good doesn't it? But fear will rear up like an angry cobra. You're trying to make a change and it is determined to stop you. It will begin a series of negative appraisals: you might not like the new area; the job is difficult and might place too much of a demand on you; the family might not want to move - on and on and on. Sleepless nights. Sweats. Shakes. Suddenly, the move doesn't sound THAT good. After all, things aren't too bad now, are they? Why change?

It's relentless, tormenting and cruel. Fear is persuading you to choose the safe secure path. It's setting limits on your happiness by robbing a wonderful opportunity from you. Each time it succeeds, a chance to grow and experience more from life vanishes.

It is so important to recognize how fear does this to you. If you don't, you risk looking back down the safe path from the flat fields of security, full of regret about the life you truly wanted but your invisible enemy robbed from you. And it is an enemy that will feel no remorse about it whatsoever.

Until next time.