Thursday, July 31, 2008
Fear:Facing the Demon Head on
Most of us face fear from time to time…if not most of the time. It can paralyze us and prevent us from reaching our goals and objectives. The worst thing about fear is that when we focus on it, we create more obstacles in our path.
Most of the time I can fight the demon myself…but every now and then I have to remind myself how to do so. In a book called Dune there is the following passage: ““Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it is gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
For months I had these words taped to my bathroom mirror where I could read it every day. Ultimately reading it every day isn’t a great solution, but it did lead to a couple of practices that minimize fear and set me on the path to freedom of fear and better yet attracting what I really want in my life.
Practice number 1: Gratitude. Every night, instead of counting sheep or something equally unattractive, I review the experiences of my day for which I am grateful. These can be anything from a terrific conversation to an incredible bowl of ice cream. The list calms me, and puts me in a good frame of mine for sleep. In fact, I usually fall asleep before I finish – way more effective than sheep counting.
Practice number 2: A rampage of appreciation. I’d like to tell you that I thought up this term myself, but I didn’t – I learned it from the work of Esther Hicks and her practices discussed in her book Ask and It Is Given. As soon as I open my eyes in the morning, I begin listing everything I appreciate. This is a little different than gratitude. For example… I usually awake to a paw on my face. One or other of my gorgeous Maine Coon cats decides that it’s time for me to get going. So my first appreciation is for the furry face that wakes me up. Next I usually appreciate my room and the green trees outside my window. As my day starts and the list evolves, my mindset is a positive one and there is no time for fear.
We each have a choice – live with fear or try new things to set it on its way!
