Warren Buffett says a simple choice in life separates the bravest people from the rest

Warren Buffett is no stranger to fear. In fact, he was once terribly afraid of speaking in public. That is until he takes a Dale Carnegie course to improve this all-important business skill. Since overcoming his fear of speaking, he has become one of the most cited speakers in the world.

Now Buffett is giving his followers an invaluable lesson in courage, expressed in four powerful words: face your fears.

Buffett advises young and old not to let fear keep them from accomplishing the things they need to be successful. And yet, fear paralyzes them for so many different reasons.

No matter how skilled you are, fear is the only thing that can crush you and keep you from achieving your dreams. It's time to stop. Here are three things you need to understand to train your brain to overcome your fear:

​1. Your fear is not a real threat

President Franklin D. Roosevelt quipped, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Think back to what seemed like an impossible feat you were able to accomplish despite some big obstacles in your way. Has fear held you back? I bet. And yet, you managed to overcome it and pull it off. The thing is, training your brain to accept that there is no threat will help you turn off the fear response when the next big challenge comes your way.

2. Your fear is just drama and not based on reality

Most of us, held hostage by fear, fail to step back from our situation and separate fact from fantasy. We need to realize that life will go on and you won't die of a mortal wound if you get rejected when pitching your product in front of a group of investors.

Any drama you make up in your head is just that: drama. It's usually invented, scripted, and based on past experience that you attach to current reality. It is not true and it has no power over you.

3. Your fear is exactly what you need

When you understand what you fear, that's usually the most important thing you need to make your business successful. In other words, when you expose yourself to what you fear, it loses its power and control over you. Try immersing yourself in the activity or activities you fear for three months. By having contact with the very things you fear, at the end of your three months you will no longer be afraid of them. This weakness then becomes a great strength.