Releasing Fear
Pretty much everyone is afraid of something so, in truth, fear is quite common and even natural to the human condition. However, when we allow our fear to rule the majority of our decisions, that is when we will need to start looking into what we can actually do about it.
Since we are part of the animal kingdom, we too were given the fight or flight response so that we could survive by recognizing threats to our safety. Unfortunately, many of us have allowed our fight or flight response to run on overdrive, which unnecessarily affects our lives by stopping us from taking the actions we desire to take. So what do we do? Well, instead of succumbing to our fear, resisting it, or trying to push it down, let’s release it, for that is the solution to everything.
Right now we are living through an experience where our fear levels are on high, and for most of us these levels are probably the highest they’ve ever been (for a prolonged period of time). As an empath, I have found it especially challenging at times not to allow myself to get swept up in fear and anxiety. But the tools I always turn to in times of fear and stress is the faith that things will get better, and the trust that I have everything I need in order to be empowered.
When I place myself into a state of seeing the world as an objective observer, suddenly I watch the unfolding of life from a place of curiosity rather than fear. I look at things and wonder how they will all turn out and what miracles will come along to “save the day.” I gather information and try to assess it through a rational and peaceful perspective, not allowing myself to get worked up but, rather, creating space for revelations and inspirations to appear.
I have to tell you, it might seem so much easier to put your head in the sand and ride out the storm without needing to know who, what, when, where, and why. But for me, even as an empathic person, that’s just not an option that I can feel good about. That’s because I know that if I have any influence or power to contribute to the betterment of society, I have to heed that calling, even if it means weeding through some uncomfortable discoveries. But the way I get around the fear is by realizing that my duty, if you will, is not necessarily to come to conclusions or try to change people’s minds on the subject. Rather, it is to observe the world through the lens of love, and trust that all the information I uncover will lead me to the truth where true love resides.
So if we are looking for solutions we need to remember this: Love is the answer. Trust is the answer. Self-empowerment is the answer. Knowledge is the answer. Consequently, when we release our fear, we are no longer aligned with it and, therefore, our alignment naturally comes back to love. And where there is love, all joyous things are not only possible, but inevitable too.
Fear is derived from a very finite and limited way of thinking. But love is beyond all fear. So once fear is lifted from you, all you will notice is how light you feel and how differently you start to carry yourself. You will notice thoughts, ideas, and inspirations that “suddenly” come into your awareness. When fear is no longer taking up all of your attention, you will notice the freedom of what’s left. You will feel your shoulders relax, your breath deepen, and calm wash over your body as you simply watch and learn from your surroundings. When you choose love over fear you will be able to act from a place of joy and wonder, and then inspire people from that new perspective.
When you choose to believe in love over fear, you will start to have more faith that all is well in the bigger picture of life. You will start to have a bird’s eye view of the goings-on within your world. And you will begin to feel more calm and hopeful for better days to come. That feeling of well-being, that is your truth, and the more you beat that drum, the more that music will be the reality of your experience.
Ask yourself, if fear were not a factor, what would you choose to do? Your soul knows but fear drowns it out. Yet, once your fear is released your truth will be revealed, all of it, i.e., what you love, what you authentically desire, what you need to do, etc., everything will become clear to you. Your inner wisdom will speak and you will be open enough to hear it.
Like the sun shining above the clouds, your well-being, your inner knowing, your peace of mind, they all exist beyond your fear. Fear is the antithesis of freedom, for where there is fear, there are also shackles. Like I mentioned earlier, it is natural to be afraid sometimes, but too often our perceptions of what we fear are misinformed and frequently unfounded. And so, it is vital that instead of falling into fear as our default response, we get present with how we feel and what we think, and then assess our situation from a place of truth and love.
When we look at life only through our five senses, we will perceive the world only from this three dimensional reality. But it is beyond the realm of our five senses that all information, all truth, and the totality of reality reside. It may not be obvious to the naked eye, but this is where our intuition lives. However, the more we allow ourselves to get distracted by fear, the less clear our intuition will be. Fear is a primal emotion created to help us survive. But its primitive intention was not meant to keep us caged.
So how do we decipher between a real threat and an imagined one? We listen. We listen to our gut feelings. We listen to things that don’t make sense. We trust our emotions to guide us to where we are overreacting. And we trust in our access to, and alignment with, our ultimate well-being.
It is our inner world that shapes what we experience on the outside. But, unfortunately, many of us have it backwards. We see what’s going on and we react based only on that, allowing our primal emotions to kick in, thereby, blocking us from seeing what might actually be real and true.
Do we live in a “perfect” world? No. But does that mean that we can never be at peace? I hope not. The truth of the matter is, the more we take our focus away from fear, the more we will notice what is and can be true in our own lives. That doesn’t mean living under a rock. Rather, it means looking around, noticing what we can change, and making choices from a place of empowerment. It also means being objective observers who are curious without internalizing everything we feel is wrong with the world. It means accepting the way things are, not from a place of apathy or defeat but, rather, from a place of surrender and trust in better things to come, and with the courage to ask questions and delve deeper where we feel it is necessary.
No one is denying that there are some rational fears in life (at least they appear rational from the five senses perspective). But the more we aim to connect with what is beyond those fears, the more we will understand how to overcome them.
If we choose to believe nothing else, let’s realize that fear is generally not beneficial to our health. It raises our cortisol levels, over-stimulates our adrenals, plays with our mental health, and weakens our immune system. So if for no other reason than staying healthy, it is important that we become centered in our truth so that we do not allow ourselves to live at the mercy of our fears.
When we look at the world through the lens of curiosity rather than fear, we can then respond to what we see with an open mind. We can learn rather than judge. And we can inspire rather than intimidate. No, the world is not “perfect,” but if we approach it from a place of appreciation, we will not only see the beauty that exists all around us, we will also see the opportunities we have to create even more beauty though our alignment, choices, and actions.
The absence of fear does not come from ignoring what we do not like or want to see. It comes from transcending that through our power to make things better. And when we know our true power to make a difference, both in our own lives and for the collective, everything we do will come from a place of love, trust, and inner peace.