“If we would only see that all limitations are self imposed and chosen out of fear, we would leap at once.” -Adyashanti
It’s incredible the amount of times we allow our lives to be dictated by our own fears. It can be something as simple as overthinking a conversation, worried about how we may be perceived. Or something far greater that we have instilled an inherent fear deep inside ourselves.
The honest truth is that fear is more often than not, not founded in reality. It is something our minds create, in the most basic way to ensure self preservation and avoid imminent dangers. But as we all know it can be easy to let this thought pattern bleed into our daily lives when we’re not facing basic survival. In both cases I have found fear is not a bad thing and can often be used as a motivator to drive our goals and reach a new threshold.
Fear is one of the most uncomfortable and deep emotions that we as humans experience taking on the form of stress, anxiety, and self-doubt. If we can acknowledge and embrace fear we can transform these emotions:
stress=strength
anxiety=energy
self-doubt=gratitude
One of the greatest catalysts of fear in my life has been uncertainty, having no experience to draw on that would compare or prepare me for the endeavor ahead. This allows a space in the mind to wander into unhealthy expectations that are in this case prone to be often far from positive. How do I re-frame these unrealistic expectations and no let them lead to choices of self-sabotage?
Over the last two years one of the most essential methods I have found to approach fear is to meditate and appreciate the path that has gotten you to the moment or situation at hand. If it is something that is intimidating in scope or nature perhaps this is a growing moment to increase your threshold. The transition beyond a threshold always hold that level of uncertainty, because quite simply you’ve never seen the other side. This is the moment where re-framing our fear and channeling it into excitement for the new step and strength we will find on the other side can be an incredibly powerful shift of mindset.
Now to digress for a moment. The path to reaching a sound mind lacking fear is in my mind a perpetual journey and even until fairly recently that was a somewhat daunting reality. Personal growth and the gratitude for all moments including those we experiences in great adversity are the only secret sauce that can outfit such an incredible endeavor.
Again the goal should never be to eliminate fear completely. In doing so we would remove the balance, the joy and satisfaction that comes when we face a fear or discomfort unabashedly. The fear of failure would say otherwise and is another sneaking fear that can too easily dictate our choices without us truly recognizing our hesitance or skepticism. To not attain a goal is only a failure if you lack gratitude for the learning and experience gained in the process. If we can instill in ourselves, our hearth and mind that we will only fail if we hold no gratitude and willingness to experience and adapt, we will live a more full life.
I still hold many fears in my life and every time a new challenge or endeavor is proposed they are the first to knock at the front door of my mind. I am not immune to these feelings and thoughts. I chose to acknowledge them considering they may have some merit, but that I should not allow them to dictate my choice and limit my experience or potential. To shape your fears authentically, dig deep into your character and find your strengths. Often times the key we need, the strength is something we already possess and haven’t had the opportunity to hone or utilize yet. This is an amazing opportunity to instill that self-confidence and prove to our psyche that we are more than capable to thrive and triumph!
Look through the storm of your thoughts, the chaos we create through expectations and anxiety of things never yet to come. Embrace the experience as an opportunity to add to your journey and find new talent within. To start with the mind and its patterns will instill peace in your heart, giving you each day more confidence in knowing that you will flourish. Positive attitude and persistence are incredibly powerful tools, WE CAN CONTROL. If you chose to focus on those two elements the fear will slowly melt away, leaving a new found joy and gratitude…peace.
Ad Astra Per Aspera