Fear and Possibility

Prior to the invitation in a FB group, Art of Prayer, to which I belong, to sit with these two concepts, I don't think I'd ever discerned how powerfully connected they are...all possibility contains fear and vice versa. Any well person has some trepidation before embarking on a new journey. Perhaps, this was so very insightful for me, because I strive to live fearlessly. In my mind, I had built up the concept of fear as the root of all evil....the cause of bias and prejudice, the core of missed opportunities, the crippling of possibility. But, in doing this exercise, I realized two very hard truths:
1. NONE of those things are true.
2. Fear is a positive and motivating force in maintaining safety in my life.

OUCH!

 

That really hurt to admit. For many years, I've been attempting to live fearlessly. In fact, "Fearless" is tattooed on my left forearm on the inside, facing me, where I can be reminded. But, I foolishly forgot an important construct:

 

 

Courage isn't the absence of fear. It is the strength to move forward, with careful planning to minimize danger, despite our fear.

 

FEAR is NOT the enemy.

 

Fear is that small voice that speaks to us, to warn us of potential hazard. Now, I'm not talking about phobia or irrational fear. I'm talking about the very real, physiological experience that we have when our bodies recognize the possibility of harm....that 'fight or flight' reaction is a miracle of evolutionary process. The hairs going up on the nape of your neck when you feel someone else's presence unexpectedly. The tingling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you're scheduled to do something and you just 'don't feel right.'

 

It is my new awareness that fear is a part of intuition. I will not be ignoring it. In truth, on those occasions when I was frightened, it was to my benefit, in retrospect. It gave me pause to consider. I may have chosen to continue with a pursuit. Those results have been mixed. But, in either circumstance, I gave it thought. I am human. I will sometimes make mistakes. I believe that I'm supposed to. However, when connected to my higher power, to the energy of life, I tend to intuit answers to all qualms. I know that you may be starting to shake your head and give me THAT look --- the 'you are a total flake' look. Let me word it differently.....have you ever felt something in your belly? A GUT INSTINCT telling you to take one course or the other? It is the exact same thing. We just express it with our own lingo.

 

I believe in possibility. More so than any other concept. There is ALWAYS possibility. From this day forward, I will allow fear its rightful place in my life. And, I will strive to be courageous.

 

Blessed Be!