"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby."
-Ruth Renkal
In times of uncertainty, I examine my fears. I have few. I often think I am one of the most fearless people I know. The most obvious fear currently is being unemployed, and whether I will be able to find a new position.
This is a fear that hides in shadow - it's an unknown. I can't predict the future. So why dwell on it? The truth is I am doing everything within my power to find a new job. If what I am doing is not good enough after a reasonable period of time I will do more - expand the length of time I'm willing to drive to get to a new job, lower my standards for salary, even take yet more classes to put on my resume.
But dwell on the fear? That is a useless exercise. They say it is like sitting in a rocking chair - a lot of movement that takes you nowhere. Set the fear aside, it doesn't help.
There are irrational fears in my life. As I've gotten older I've developed a fear of heights. I don't let it stop me from doing things - I've climbed onto our roof to help with repairs. That doesn't compare to replacing windows on the Arcade roof 7 stories up when I was 21, but now it stops my heart. Back then it was just a job. I also have a lifelong fear of physical conflict, and I don't mean the perfectly reasonable fear of someone beating me, I mean if I hear people arguing, even in another room - my heart starts racing, my breathing is shallow - I'm heading for the door. Who can say what buried trauma sets this off? I don't want to unearth it, I just avoid those situations. My rational brain knows I'm safe, my reptilian brain sets me into flight.
Fortunately I don't have your typical girly-girl fears - I actually like spiders and snakes. They're the good guys in my house and yard, the ones that destroy the germ and disease carriers.
I used to fear public speaking, one of the most common fears people have. But I don't have that fear anymore. How did I overcome it? First, I tried it. Secondly, I realized that most people are so much more concerned with themselves than they are with me, that it doesn't matter what I do. It's the same with dancing. No matter what you think, people are not looking at you on that dance floor, unless you are a gold-medal winning dancer. Otherwise, you're just one of the crowd.
Probably the biggest fear in the Judeo-Christian world is the fear of death. Do I fear it? I have to honestly say I don't know. The clearest answer I give is that it doesn't matter. That is then and this is now. I hope it's not painful, but otherwise how can I possibly fear something that absolutely no one can tell me anything about? I can refer you to my opening quote, that a shadow simply means there is a light shining nearby. However you perceive that light may be the peace that saves you from a fear of death. If you have read my previous blogs you know that I believe that light is Love - so when I die I know that I will be welcomed into the arms of universal Love.
So obviously I'm starting to ramble, but only because I find fear an interesting subject, one that can play too big a part in our lives. I think we can examine our fears and learn how to make peace with them.
Or remain ignorant and terrorize the world.
-Ruth Renkal
In times of uncertainty, I examine my fears. I have few. I often think I am one of the most fearless people I know. The most obvious fear currently is being unemployed, and whether I will be able to find a new position.
This is a fear that hides in shadow - it's an unknown. I can't predict the future. So why dwell on it? The truth is I am doing everything within my power to find a new job. If what I am doing is not good enough after a reasonable period of time I will do more - expand the length of time I'm willing to drive to get to a new job, lower my standards for salary, even take yet more classes to put on my resume.
But dwell on the fear? That is a useless exercise. They say it is like sitting in a rocking chair - a lot of movement that takes you nowhere. Set the fear aside, it doesn't help.
There are irrational fears in my life. As I've gotten older I've developed a fear of heights. I don't let it stop me from doing things - I've climbed onto our roof to help with repairs. That doesn't compare to replacing windows on the Arcade roof 7 stories up when I was 21, but now it stops my heart. Back then it was just a job. I also have a lifelong fear of physical conflict, and I don't mean the perfectly reasonable fear of someone beating me, I mean if I hear people arguing, even in another room - my heart starts racing, my breathing is shallow - I'm heading for the door. Who can say what buried trauma sets this off? I don't want to unearth it, I just avoid those situations. My rational brain knows I'm safe, my reptilian brain sets me into flight.
Fortunately I don't have your typical girly-girl fears - I actually like spiders and snakes. They're the good guys in my house and yard, the ones that destroy the germ and disease carriers.
I used to fear public speaking, one of the most common fears people have. But I don't have that fear anymore. How did I overcome it? First, I tried it. Secondly, I realized that most people are so much more concerned with themselves than they are with me, that it doesn't matter what I do. It's the same with dancing. No matter what you think, people are not looking at you on that dance floor, unless you are a gold-medal winning dancer. Otherwise, you're just one of the crowd.
Probably the biggest fear in the Judeo-Christian world is the fear of death. Do I fear it? I have to honestly say I don't know. The clearest answer I give is that it doesn't matter. That is then and this is now. I hope it's not painful, but otherwise how can I possibly fear something that absolutely no one can tell me anything about? I can refer you to my opening quote, that a shadow simply means there is a light shining nearby. However you perceive that light may be the peace that saves you from a fear of death. If you have read my previous blogs you know that I believe that light is Love - so when I die I know that I will be welcomed into the arms of universal Love.
So obviously I'm starting to ramble, but only because I find fear an interesting subject, one that can play too big a part in our lives. I think we can examine our fears and learn how to make peace with them.
Or remain ignorant and terrorize the world.
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