One of the major causes of fear is that we do not want to face ourselves as we are. Fear happens when we remove ourselves from the moment, bringing our attention from certainty to uncertainty, the past interrupting the present or the future disturbing the now. It’s an usual, yet normally primitive, tricky emotion that often can disguise itself in many ways: suffering, egoism, samsara, greed, anger, envy, fright, worry, apprehension, cognitive paralysis, anxiety, irrationality.
While the fear from our beloved ego navigates life by trying to keep us safe (thank it for doing its intrinsic job) and in a familiar place, it has a limited perception and blocks our creative and spiritual progress. We must remember that fear is not who we innately are; it is one of the many ways we are able to respond to life’s moments.
Can we trust the inner orchestras of the mind, heart, intuition and allow fear to flow through us rather than cage us in? Can we watch fear without any conclusions? Without any interference of the knowledge we have accumulated about it? Can we feel the fear, genuinely acknowledge its presence, while not allowing it to lead and dictate the current state of our life?
“I see what you’re doing, fear. Thank you for sending your signal. But it’s okay and you’ll have to take a seat in the back. I am the driver in charge here and I need to pay attention to what’s going on right now.”
It isn’t a matter of being fearless by kicking fear to the curb, rather bringing insight to what’s going on and using benevolence in the face of what oppresses you. COURAGE, my friends. FAITH, my friends. These are the fruitful partners that direct you to the life you’re worthy of living. Because you and I are so much more than what dismays us. We have a right to be here, to do what we love, to try new things outside of our comfort zone. We all deserve to be in the moment – fully ourselves. We are part of something greater than our fears.
The things that we feel in our hearts, the depths of hearts, are far more vital than the things we believe in our minds. What lies within us are comprehensive antidotes to fear: the armour of loving-kindness, gratitude and the vitality of our spiritual cultivation. With that, fear won’t mind taking a back seat.