Fear

Fear is static that prevents me from hearing myself. 
(Samuel Butler, novelist)
Don't give in to your fears. If you do, you won't be able to talk to your 
heart. (Paulo Coelho)

Fear - an ugly, human emotion... one that many of us struggle with.

You've probably heard the acronym for fear: "False Evidence Appearing Real". Our minds are really adept at thinking up worse case scenarios and taking them for a long drive in our souls, fearing what most likely will never occur.

People have different ways of addressing fear in their lives.

I had a friend who willfully practiced fearing her worst nightmares so that they wouldn't happen.  Hmm.

Equally unhelpful and a complete opposite approach is to believe the adage "what you fear will come upon you".  Funny, when I am told NOT to think about something, it becomes the elephant in the room. Now I fear it happening because I couldn't stop my fear. That's a dead end trail of terror.

Then there's the "do it afraid" slogan. Just do it, despite your fear. This seems to work pretty well for many.

Still others go to their faith to find peace and comfort in the midst of fear. Again, very effective if you have the will to release those fears and trust that it will all be fine.

My dear Grandpa once said to my Grandma, "Dear, you suffer everything three times; first before it happens, then when it happens and again after it happens".

Fear robs us of precious emotional energy that we need to navigate our way through our life's circumstances. It is hard enough dealing with what is concrete and in front of us, without having to worry about what hasn't even happened.

We cannot avoid some of the catastrophes that will come upon us in life. Fear has no value and will neither stave off nor prepare us emotionally for bad things. Frankly, it's a waste of time and emotional energy. We would be much better served in focusing on the good things around us.

Do you have a fear or two or three lingering around in that little mind of yours? It's time to do battle with that pesky disabler.  Resolve to let go of your fears now.

I know that life can be scary. There is so much that is out of our control. Most people will tell you that when the worst happened, they found a deep inner strength to be able to endure their trial. It's called grace and it is there when you need it but not a minute before. Do not suffer everything three times like my dear grandma - who incidentally was named GRACE! Embrace the grace and let the worries go. It's good for the soul!