Notice the Fear, and Get Rid of It!

May 14, 2009

This picture was taken at a beautiful beach in Georgia. What’s that? You can’t see the beach? But it’s there… the sand, the sea, the sky… the inspiring wonders of the universe. What you are focused on, and the only thing you clearly see before you, is a snake. And what you are feeling is fear and anxiety.

In your anxiousness, you wonder what kind of snake this is. Maybe it’s dangerous. Maybe there are more lurking. They might be in the water… waiting to prey on you as soon as you start to get in! That, combined with the dangers of the sun, and possibilities of drowning, make this beach day no fun at all.

Why do we see the world this way? Why are we pre-conditioned to focus on everything that can possibly go wrong, instead of all that is right with the world?

Nature

Maybe we’re born this way. I’d like to tell you about the deer in my yard. What I would really like to do is show you a picture of them, because there are six beautiful deer that visit our salt lick every day; but I can’t. Every time I try to take a picture of them, they hear me tiptoe towards the window and they run off into the woods. 

I’ve often thought how badly it would suck to be one of these guys because they are completely paranoid. They can’t even enjoy one minute of hanging out at the salt lick without some of them being on guard, and the others being ready to flee at any moment. Why? Because there are times when people are allowed to hunt them.

Maybe the deer weren’t given a copy of the schedule, so they don’t realize when it’s safe to hang out and frolick in my yard. They don’t know it’s ALWAYS safe in my yard… they are the reason we put the salt lick out there! Nature has given them a super-sensitive survival instinct that keeps them from enjoying a worry-free existence. But do WE need that kind of paranoia?

Nurture

We have grown accustomed to seeing danger in everything. The headlines are filled with all the awful things that happen to people all over the world. Our parents taught us not to talk to strangers (’cause they are probably planning to kidnap us and do awful things). Don’t run with sticks; don’t play with scissors, or knives, or fire. Don’t climb too high, you may fall. Don’t run too fast, you may trip.

Think about the consequences. Plan for the unexpected. Be hyper-vigilant so as to not get caught off guard. Is it just me, or did our parents have a deer mentality? Sure, sometimes things DO go wrong… but most of the time they go just fine.

Do you know how happy the deer would be in my yard if they could just let their guard down? They could graze, hang out in the sun, and eat crab apples all day without being disturbed. But they will never know those joys because they cannot overcome their paranoid nature. 

You, however, can.

“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” (Dorothy Thompson)

What if, instead of being ultra-paranoid and looking for the possible dangers in everything, you got rid of the Fear filters? What if you decided NOT to be afraid of the world and everything in it? What if you looked at the world through Trust filters and just decided that everything will be fine… as it usually is?

Would you see the world differently? Would you finally be able to enjoy what has always been all around you? Would you stop taking the world for granted, and start living your life to the fullest?

Isn’t it about time for us to leave behind our animal instincts, and outgrow the misconceptions we developed over the years, and start choosing what we believe and how we wish to view the world? Today is the perfect day to see the world as it really is.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with others.

*

Tuesdays through Thursdays, comments are closed on Quest for Balance (here’s why). Feel free to contact me directly at:

MyQuestForBalance (at) gmail (dot) com.

Or, if you prefer, you can tweet me @Serene_Balance.

Thanks!

Related posts:

1. Adventure: How to Get From Fear to Faith
2. Why Do You Fear Being Great, You Yellow-Bellied Coward?
3. 10 Things You Should Know About Yourself (aka: “So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish!”)

Posted in Overcoming Challenges, anxiety, bad habits, choices, inner peace