Fear

I had a "fear weekend" a few months ago. Have you ever had one?

When I was a young person in my 20's, I used to joke that I was afraid of everything, but everything equally. So, since I had to do something, I folded up all my fear and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans. Then I could just take it with me anywhere I went.

Have you ever noticed that we call fear, "my" fear? As if it's just the two of us in a special relationship, it's ours alone, and we own it?

Fear, of course, the kind that's hard-wired into our brains, is there to help us. "Fight" or "flight" we call it, so we'll know instinctively how to react to a possible danger in order to save our lives. We all have that fear.

But this fear, "my" fear, well, that's quite something else again...isn't it?

I've learned that "my" fear is very smart, and determined. It challenges me, even dares me to spot it before it takes over. It wears clever disguises. It masquerades as thoughtful concern, or something I might think is really important. Sometimes it takes me a while to recognize that it's just, oh, "my" fear.

But there's this about my fear - When I catch up with it, when I call it what it is - it begins to evaporate, instantly. It disappears, as quickly as it came on. If I stand up to it, it can't stand up to me. I'm bigger, and stronger, than it.

Try this sometime, when you're feeling "your" fear: grab a pen and paper, and write about it.
Start with something like this: "My fear tried to keep me from something I want today...." When you finish writing, pick your head up and take a deep breath. Is it still there? If it's getting smaller, keep writing: you're on the right track.

We're bigger than our fear, because we've created it. We've made it a part of ourselves that doesn't really exist without our inviting it in. If you can figure out why you invited it in (Start with asking yourself, "What is it I'm afraid of?"), you can decide if you want to give into it, or if you want to cancel the invitation.

We are much more powerful than we know!