We live in a world of uncertainty. A complicated world, where anything can happen in any given moment. If you happen to be sensitive, or you are easily obsessed by news of danger, or the threat of danger, as many of us have been during numerous stress-filled periods of our lives, then it is easy to understand why a person could be ‘paralyzed by fear’. Agoraphobia, germaphobia and other psychological disorders often appear to be perfectly reasonable responses when an individual’s outlook is seeing only danger, and experiencing only fear. The term “general anxiety” was coined for a reason: Apparently, danger and fear of danger, have become two of the regular ‘qualitative norms’ of modern life. On an individual basis, our outward perspectives are crucial in terms of softening the impact of daily threats to our safety and well being.
How do we make healthy adjustments to our outward perspective, in order to get a handle on fear, before we are paralyzed by its effects? That is a question best answered by the individual, while keeping in mind their own level of sensitivity to the perceived dangers in their lives. In general terms, and from my own experiences with fear and its impact on the quality of my own life, I will suggest that the best place to start is where the fear originates – in our minds and our hearts. So, introspection can lead to an honest assessment of the dangers that are causing our fear. Putting those perceived ‘dangers’ into perspective can sometimes turn a mountain back into a mole hill, thus relieving stress levels and potentially avoiding an anxiety overload. Anxiety has been defined as future-based fear. The fear of – “What will happen next?” Which brings up another helpful suggestion, one I’ve learned through my study of Eckhart Tolle’s work: If you can manage to bring your attention and intentions into the present moment, relieving yourself of attention to past and future, then there is usually an immediate reduction of stressful, fear-based input, to your mind, body and spirit. This reduction can feel like a warm summer breeze, even during a proverbial ‘dark night of your soul’. It will likely leave you thirsting for more peace, more insight, and rejecting more and more of your previously fearful thought patterns.
Reclaiming a bit of your childhood wonder can also be an effective way to make positive, courageous changes to our outward perspective. Most of us can remember a time when everything seemed possible in our lives. We could imagine being firefighters, doctors or even President of the United States of America if we so desired. With the wonder of a child, we once looked on in amazement, as Marlin Perkins discovered and televised the latest, and most interesting addition, to the menagerie of known mammals on the planet. Or maybe it was the advent of robotics, or the rapid progression of computer technologies that captivated our childhood imagination. Whatever subject matter, physical activity, or pastime that made us feel most alive, also alleviated fears of the future, and worries of the past. It seems entirely natural that human beings are born with an innate capacity to put fear into perspective, and then to rationally decide which dangers warrant fearful responses, and which ones are more healthy for us to dismiss.
“Maternal Sky-Paddler – Defending the Eggs”
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