Fear.
Of?
______________________________________________.
Fill in the blank.
My Aha Moment: Every human on the planet can write something on that line.
Isn’t that incredible?! Think about that for a moment. The entire human race, from every region of the planet, can identify with fear. It manifests itself differently in all of us. What might create fearfulness in one person may help another experience fearlessness.
Someone is afraid of heights while another is fearless of heights.
Someone is afraid of large social gatherings while another is fearless and the life of the party.
If I’m a child, I may be afraid of the dark or afraid of monsters in the closet. If I’m a teenager, I may be afraid of not having friends or being picked last in classroom games. If I’m an adult, I may be afraid of not having enough money or afraid of getting a serious illness.
Doesn’t matter what the age, what part of the world you live in, or whatever status you perceive to have – you do experience fear. We all do. Whether fleeting or immobilizing, momentarily or hauntingly – fear is real.
I was reading a bunch of quotes on the Internet about fear. Countless quotes on fear! That in and of itself is mind blowing. Could it be the topic of fear is one of the most researched, talked about, counseled and examined? Does fear land in the top 5 psychological analyses? (I don’t know. These are genuine questions.)
These countless quotes were actually pretty inspiring: encouraging us to let go of fear and reminding humans we can overcome fear.
As I reflected on my personal life, I notice my fears morph. What might have caused me fear at one point in my life, no longer causes me fear. Each fear I encounter is usually associated with The Unknown.
My Resolve #1: Fear is universal and woven into the human race. The reassurance: someone identifies with each of us.
My Resolve #2: Fear changes and Experience is its overcomer. The reassurance: we will learn deep truths and get through it.
My Resolve #3: Fear does not isolate us from community. The reassurance: we belong and we are loved.
My Resolve #4: Fear is waiting for us in our tomorrow world. The reassurance: we will conquer yet again.
My Resolve #5: Fear does not make us weak. The reassurance: we are strong and perceptive.
My Resolve #6: Fear commands us to trust that which we do not know. The reassurance: we’re being propelled into new understandings and empathies.
My Resolve #7: Fear is a gift to others. The reassurance: because of our fears, we are able to support someone else in his or hers.
– Karen Thrall
*also published on www.karenthrall.com
GOOD FOR THE SOUL 