The celebration of Halloween brings my thoughts to a subject that is of ultimate importance, and not trivial, for our well being and success: fear. We all have fears and it is a common feeling, wanting it or not, and more often than we want, our choices in life, and our daily habits, are driven by fear. Many times we are not aware that there is this undercurrent of fear behind our motives in life. Do we want to live our lives based on fear? Are you aware of what is behind your motive in life?
Fear is not a bad feeling; it gives us awareness of danger and protects us from harm. To be able to differentiate if our fears are based on reality, real present dangers, or trauma experiences, ghosts from the past, is a skill that requires practice.
We usually experience fear when we think of past experiences or future possibilities. These habits of past/future thinking restrict our lives and block us from being courageous and achieve fulfillment and happiness. It is not easy practice to think and live at the present moment, but the more we practice the more we get better at it. Our brains tend to react to fear by going into freeze or panic mode. This state of freeze or panic is not conducive to advancement, s
uccess and happiness.
If we keep experiencing that fear is the undercurrent behind our choices and habits in life, then this is a signal we need to start dealing with it. The tricky business is that often we are not even aware we are feeling fears, it can be masked by other feelings such as anxiety and tension. The more we work on self-awareness, the better we will have a deeper understanding and clarity of our daily choices.
Finding a safe environment and someone you trust, and reserving time to explore yourself, are a good beginning to understand your choices and your fears. To feel your fears in safety, experience and process them, is fundamental for our life and career advancement.
Here are some suggestions on how to begin to approach fear:
- Slow down and reserve some time for increasing self-awareness.
- Take a good inventory of your fears, without judgment, by asking questions such as: Am I aware of my fears? When are my fears happening?
- Take a good look at your daily actions and choices by asking yourself: Are my actions and choices based on fears?
- Try to bring awareness of how frequently you experience fears, and what triggers them.
- Ask yourself: “How do I feel and react when I am experiencing fear?”
By reserving this time for self-reflection we will be bringing ourselves to the present moment, and we will be practicing fearlessness. False courage by trying to be though and not embracing our fears and vulnerabilities is not a wise form of fearlessness. To be fearless is to embrace and confront our own fears.
I hope you will have a fear embracing Halloween!