Have you ever been afraid? I bet it doesn’t feel good, does it? Then there is fear, the gut-wrenching feeling of more than just mere afraid. Like you, I have been scared and fearful on many occasions. They feel terrible and make me say or do stupid things. We’ve all been there, in the black hole of fear. It is human to feel fear or the other can of worms that unexpected change, isolation, uncertainty, or vulnerability can stir up in our guts. It’s normal to feel. It means we are alive. Depending on your temperament, there can be many reasons to feel fear. They are just more in our face than ever these days.
I haven’t lived that long, but through trial and error, I have collected some practical tips when it comes to dealing with fear and channeling it into something helpful. Number one is not to be afraid of it. Fear no fear. Instead, I have learned to relax, recognize it, acknowledge it, and relate to it like any other feelings that come up in meditation and daily life. The feelings arise, develop, and fade away, no matter how difficult or pleasant.
The tip sounds straight forward, right? But at least for me, it’s easier said than done. That’s where courage comes in. It takes courage, a tremendous amount of it, to face your fear. It also takes a lot of resolution to channel your fear into appropriate responses. You can give yourself a big pat on the back for choosing this hero’s path.
The good news is that you are not alone on this path of wisdom and compassion. The Greeks wrote about it in their epics, and the Buddha addressed it in his sermons. I have also recorded a guided meditation on feelings that might help you with it too. I am confident that you can also learn to relax when facing your fear and to recognize it, acknowledge it, and relate to it like any other feelings. I’m very proud of you for giving it a shot. Fear no fear. It is a gate to wisdom and liberation like anything else.