Are you ready for a rhetorical question? It’s one that you likely already know the answer to but may not have ever thought of in a positive light.
THE QUESTION: What is as old as time itself? Its presence can motivate you, most often out of desperation rather than inspiration. It can cause you to shift your gaze and shirk back into a darkened corner to hide rather than look into Its steely eyes. It moves many people to think, say, and do regretful things. It’s also difficult to identify because It wears so many deceiving disguises.
THE ANSWER: As you may have already concluded, “It” is Fear and most of us try to avoid it like the plague.
When was the last time Fear knocked at your door? Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize because It wears so my different disguises. Between a polarized political climate, an uncertain economy, violence in our own homes and streets, and wars raging worldwide, there has never been a time when Fear has been more prevalent on our planet. Not coincidentally, I made Fear the topic of my seventh book while watching the 6:00 PM News one evening. After some deep contemplation, I decided the title would be “When Fear Speaks, Listen… The 7 Messengers of Fear.” The reason for that provocative title is that most of us are so busy running from, or denying, Fear we seldom take time to stop, turn and face it—and ask why it’s appearing in that moment. The purpose of the book is to introduce an awareness that we don’t have to perceive Fear as our enemy, allowing it to manipulate our emotions and shape our lives. As odd as it sounds, with mindfulness and a new perspective, we can actually perceive Fear in a new light. I know whence I speak because for the first forty-years of my life, Fear was my greatest nemesis and, as such, I gave it far more power than it deserved. It controlled me and how I reacted (rather than responded) to nearly any crisis. Can you relate?
As I matured spiritually and emotionally, I learned to perceive my various fears as Messengers bearing vital information for my future well-being. When I learned to face, lean in, and dance with my various Fears they became my greatest teachers. With the correct perspective, we can learn to see Fear as an ally appearing in our lives at the exact right time with the gift of information we need—not to just survive but thrive. The only caveat is, rather than running from it or trying to anesthetize it, we must turn toward Fear, embrace it and ask what message it has for us. If we will listen, we’ll gain the wisdom necessary to transcend it and then we can send it on its way.
All Fear is attached to a concern of death—or loss—of some sort; and it affects every area of our lives. It might be the death or loss of our own lives, a relationship, a career, a reputation, a bank account, a lifestyle, or our ability to control someone or something. Understanding our Messengers of Fear will help us manage the concern of loss in a proactive rather that a reactive manner. While the faces of Fear are legion, in my book, the seven most prevalent disguises that Fear hides behind are: Anger, Worry, Judgement, Selfishness, Shame, Loneliness, and Uncertainty. Each of these Messengers of Fear brings along a host of other descendants as well. Once we elevate our perspective and refocus our perception of Fear, we’ll be able to see it for what it really is… and isn’t.
We can run but we can’t hide—nor should we try! We need the information we receive from Fear in order to thrive, let alone survive.
Simply put, all God’s children are subject to a visit from Fear. When equipped with the right information from the 7 Messengers of Fear, we can transcend what frightens us and can get on with that which is ours to do to. A life rich with purpose, joy, freedom, and peace lies just on the other side of our greatest Fears. Are you ready for the adventure? Just listen to your Fear and you’ll know where to begin!
NOTE: If you are interested, When Fear Speaks…Listen will be available on May 14th on Amazon and at other major retailers.
Fear often accompanies us in our lives. Life changes tend to put people in crisis, destabilizing their life balance and their security. Faced with the many emotional, work and economic difficulties, people feel increasingly disoriented. Fear takes the place of hope, desire and trust in tomorrow.
Yet, you can be “fragile” and strong at the same time.
It seems like a paradox, but it isn’t. If we become fully aware of our fragility and welcome it as part of us, we will be more true, more sensitive, more willing to question our life project. Then fragility becomes a strength. It helps you to be unique in the crowd, to like yourself as you are, even increasing your self-esteem. Because the achievements of those who are more fragile are worth more and are enjoyed more. Defeats are possible, but they will not block the path. They will push you to move forward. If we start from our fragility, from the awareness of our deepest motivations, we will be able to give space to a new life project with hope and trust in the future, anchoring ourselves to strong values such as solidarity, generosity and love, for which it is worth live.