Choose to Overcome Your Fears

Fear is defined as an emotional response to an unknown or impending danger or as an expectation of evil. Fear can create feelings of apprehension, anxiety, alarm, dread, fright or terror. When you are in fear, you are scared of someone, something or a potential outcome.

We all experience fear at one point in time or another. Actually fear is a great way to keep us from hurting ourselves. Fear has a limiting effect on our behaviors and ourselves. Fear keeps us from putting our hand on the hot burner of the stove. It keeps us from jumping from high places, or leaves us tentative when going into a darkened room. These types of fears are good. They keep us safe. They make us think before we do, knowing full well the potential outcome and repercussions of our actions. Even with activities such as fire walking, skydiving and bungy jumping, a major component or should I say thrill of these activities is saying hello to and overcoming fear.

Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. In extreme cases individuals find themselves afraid of closed in spaces such as elevators. They may be afraid of insects such as spiders or bees, they may be afraid of heights, afraid to fly in airplanes or even afraid of the water. Fear is elicited as a response or reaction to some previous life experience or trauma. It can be experienced when we look to venture into uncharted ground, especially when the outcome is unknown. We can also experience fear when we lose our jobs, look to end a relationship or even when we try to express our needs and desires.

Fear can impact us in many ways. It was once said 'Fear is the thief of dreams'. The truth to that statement is unbelievable. Bottom line... fear takes away our choices. It can keep us from doing the things we want or need to do for ourselves. It limits us, constrains us and can end up ruling our lives. It consumes our energy and enjoyment of life, leaving us experiencing additional unexplainable stress, frustration or feeling just plain stuck.

When it comes to health, the role of emotions, especially the emotion of fear, is not something to be taken lightly. Fear causes the body to contract. Fear causes our life force energy, or chi’, that flows through our bodies to slow down creating distortions in its flow. The impact or sizes of these energetic distortions are dictated by repetition, intensity and our reaction to the negative/fear causing factor. These energetic distortions can be likened to an imaginary button within ourselves. The impact or size of these distortions being equated to how many times or how hard the button(s) gets pushed, multiplied by our unique reaction to the event or situation. It is like finding out that you owe the IRS money. Some people take it in stride, with little to no reaction. In others, it may evoke an intense reaction - one that will be remembered for years.

When we are in fear, we are hesitant to take steps forward. Our minds are filled with thoughts of a traumatic experience, a negative outcome or the potential repercussions of our choices and decisions. We manifest these fears as procrastination, where we choose to do nothing. Sometimes we go into resistance, digging our heels in and holding on tightly to our current position or situation. Some of us go into denial about our fears, choosing to blame others or the situation for their choices. Others, just avoid putting themselves into scary situations thus eliminating any possible threat.

Being in or living in fear is all about choices... you can choose to move forward, or you can choose to stand still marking time. Again, while some fears are good and essential for our basic survival, many of the ones we face daily have nothing to do with any real threat or danger. For many of us, the only real peril we experience are the thoughts and ideas we conjure up in our minds.

Fear can be thought of as a scary old-time black and white movie poster of the Werewolf or Dracula hanging on the back of a door in a darkened room. As we look ahead, the only thing we can see is this scary creature obstructing our passage and forward movement. What we don’t realize is that the threat isn’t real. Once we turn on the lights in the room, we can see that it is only a poster and no danger at all. What’s more, as we sit in this darkened room, unable or unwilling to either turn on the lights or step through that door, we will never know what is on the other side. We will be forever trapped by our own reservations, worries and uncertainties and will never come to know the freedom and sense of power that is experienced as you step through its limitation and into the light of a new day. Addressing fear, saying hello to it, is a major component in overcoming it. It is like turning on the light in that darkened room, the unknowns become known, what was once scary becomes mundane and may even seem trivial.

Miraculous things happen to those who consciously choose to overcome their fears. As they begin to move forward in this new life journey, many find deep, long lost, feelings of inner strength and renewed self-confidence. They gain certainty in their skills, abilities and even downfalls. They have the good fortune of learning more about themselves, their wants, needs and desires, thus opening new doors of opportunity and enjoyment.

What do you fear? Perhaps it is time to turn on the light and step through the door of empowerment and behold a new and brilliant day.

— Dr. Rita Louise