Focus on Courage – it expands us. Fear shrinks us, makes us smaller than we really are.
What is fear
A dictionary will say fear is an unpleasant negative feeling caused by a perceived threat or outcome. Our mind may sense danger or something likely to cause some sort of pain, and so reacts by causing the emotion, physical sensations (like chills, trembling or goosebumps) and in worse case situations very angry or aggressive behaviour.
For example, if we corner an injured animal, it will attack with force for fear of its life. Men in particular try to hide their fears by showing strength, often violent against the weaker opponent (typically women).
There are other types of fear also, the fear of Death and fear to love.
What is fear? Fear comes from thinking we can lose something, but that is not possible in the spiritual kingdom. Fear is simply an extreme illusion enforcing extreme separation. When we have faith in God or our guru, knowing we are protected for eternity, we no longer fear. We still have emotions, but it will not cause us to panic or go into depression, to have self-pity or to lose it!
That means if we align ourselves with our soul, what is there to fear, except fear itself?
What is the mechanism of fear
Some chemistry (or a release of chemicals) within our body & neural network causes the effect we call fear. The emotional impact of the perceived threat will manifest differently in each person based on their own concepts, insecurities, mental well-being; and of course the main ingredient; our karma (the ultimate reason we must suffer in fear, or perhaps grow in strength).
Why do we have such fear
God created fear for two main reasons, firstly it protects us physically by not adventuring to where danger lurks. Secondly it makes us stronger and more mature; when we can overcome the threat or adversity causing fear. Spiritually it can be beneficial as by overcoming fear it can take us closer to self-awareness. Just by walking away from darkness it automatically takes us closer to the light.
Fear of death, Fear to Love
We have fear of death because we have not lived. To live wholeheartedly means to understand who we really are, our mission, the meaning of life and to practice some method which makes us feel whole, makes us feel connected to the whole cosmos, to make us feel complete and perfect in Gods eyes. Then we will understand why bad things happen and it will not have the same grip of fear like before.
We fear to love not because we experienced pain, but because we have never been truly loved. In our lives many people will tell us how much they love us, only to hate us later. That means the love was not real in the first place, it was conditional in that we did things or behaved according to their wishes. The only unconditional love we will experience is Gods love (a mothers love for a newborn comes close, but not the same energy).
When we have that Love we will feel satisfied. If another form of love comes into our lives, such as human/relationship type love – then its like icing on the cake. But we don’t need it to be happy. If we don’t have Gods love and we also lose human love, it will make us feel unwanted and lonely, then possibly leading to depression in some cases. Why do we fear love for others? Because we don’t love ourselves the way we are, the way God made us. We feel (at some level) we are not good enough so nobody wants us or maybe our partner will find someone better.
Apart from seeking God using a method you have affinity with, there are exercises and affirmations which can help you to love yourself again as we did when we were children. These can be found in most good bookshops.
How to remove fear
Acknowledge the fear, then face it. Look at it. Start slowly, baby steps and with the help of a close friend if needed. But whatever it is you fear, make it smaller and smaller then conquer it. Normally we make anything we fear so big its scares us.
So minimize it in your mind, then face it and do what needs to be done.
After you understand how great you really are and that you cannot die (not the soul), what is there to fear anymore?
Fear is just a make-up-game in the mind, it’s not real, but because it’s in OUR mind, it feels very real and strong. When we see the truth, the mind cannot trap is any-more. It’s takes courage to remove fear, you have the ability already so why not use it.
