I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me.
I have accepted fear as a part of life – specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown,
and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says:
Turn back, turn back, you`ll die if you venture too far. – Erica Jong
Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone, or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or is a threat. It’s an internal subjective experience that is often manifested physically. Fear causes a change in our body by impacting our metabolic and organ functions and it changes our behaviour; we may withdraw, hide, procrastinate, run away or berate ourselves. None of these responses help us address our intense feelings, they just make everything worse.
Ultimately fear is a product of our imagination… and it’s a choice that often creates anxiety over possibilities that are unlikely or may not even exist. I’ve heard it said that FEAR is Fantasized Evidence Appearing Real, and some people respond to it by simply Forgetting Everything And Running from it.
My numerous fears, some of which include making a mistake, hurting someone, being laughed at or change, have stopped me from making decisions and progressing forward with my life. They have often kept me feeling as though I was locked in a cage and paralyzed. I procrastinated and waited for things to be perfect before deciding what to do and acting on it. You could say that I was so afraid of life that I forgot how to truly live.
As humans, we all deal with fear… but, when we chose to live our lives in fear, or denying it, we are out of balance.
Much of our panic has developed in response to subtle life situations, which have threatened our illusion of control, our self-esteem or our need for stability; or from wounds we have experienced. Some of our top dreads include: Failure, Death, Disappointment, Ridicule, Pain, Rejection, Loneliness, Misery, the Unknown and Loss of Freedom.
Being afraid is often a huge obstacle to our well-being and potential successes. To live life fully we cannot allow this anxiety to become the driver of our decision making or the motivator of our actions. When we recognize our fears, we can relax a bit and be less willing to hand our lives over to our emotions. By admitting our trepidation and refusing to let it control us we are better able to live our lives in balance.
Our best problem-solving resource is peace of mind and a firm, relying trust that “all is well, and things will work out.” Being fearful gives power to the problem, not the solution. Peace of mind is available to each of us if we choose it. We can find that peace by surrounding ourselves with the simplest of life’s pleasures as water, nature, a sunset, a walk, a prayer or meditation, a friend.
We each have the power to conquer our fears. To better understand your fears and get a handle on them, write them down, catalogue them and think about what’s driving each one. Then use your calm, balanced and disciplined mind to address them by focusing on the best not the worst; the beautiful not the ugly; things to praise not to curse…
Stir-up the strength and power within you and live life fully!!!