Fear can clip your wings, and keep you from flying, from soaring!
Fear is an ever-present resource we can use to our advantage, or to our detriment.
There is a part of our brain that is hard-wired to recognize fearful and dangerous threats to our well-being. That was necessary when we were cave people, and that warning stimulated our thinking, to find ways to avoid that danger, thus we learned to problem solve in order to survive.
In our current world, that part of the brain is still alive and well. It is working when the hair stands up on the back of our neck, our heart “stops” or our gut roils with anxiety. In those moments another part of our brain analyzes and processes information, so we fight or take flight, or, in less dangerous situations, we get off the elevator with that creepy stranger in the corner, or choose to walk on the well-lit side of the street.
There are also the fears that motivate us! Fear of failure may fuel new possibilities. Fear of financial insecurity may prompt the adoption of a savings plan. Fear of intimacy may invite vulnerability.
It’s when we turn our fears into our reality that they limit us, paralyze us…clip our wings so we can’t move forward, much less fly!
When we surrender our ability to choose our thoughts, we surrender any chance of living the life we envision. And Emerson said, “Fear defeats more people than anything else in the world.” Fear can defeat your will, drown your dreams, poison your health, bankrupt your well-being, and shrivel your power.
An acronym for fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. We make up so many of our fears, and since we made them up, we can change them. We must find ways to redesign those fear-based thoughts into positive, supportive and life-enhancing thoughts.
A monumental task? Absolutely yes! But that’s why we have this unique brain and mind that separates us from every other living thing on this planet. It’s our responsibility and obligation to use our mind for our own good, and the good of others.
Reflections:
What fears motivate you?
What fears paralyze you?
What fears have you overcome? How?
Lillian, I loved reading this.... so simply and eloquently stated... I can totally relate. Your writing is wonderful, just as if you are speaking to me personally. Thank YOU for sharing this... Love you Marlene
Thanks for your comments...I know you can relate, but what's more important to me is your opinion, and I trust you will let me know when I'm on track (like this post) or off...I love you, too....LOTS!
Hi Lillian - Fear kept me alive in Vietnam and fear keeps me going in today's very strange business envirornment. It tells me when to trust and when not to trust.
Roger Petersen
Thanks for sharing such a deep relationship with fear...you set a great example of how to use fear in a positive way.