Tags
awakening, enlighten, fear, Jaggi Vasudev, Marianne Williamson, spiritual growth, suffering, the mind, Wayne Dyer
Fear. What a little word that carries so much weight with it. Just like every word, fear is an idea. An idea that something is wrong, or that something bad will happen. An idea that we are not enough exactly as we are. An idea that, when we really stop and look at it, is rooted in delusion.
I believe it was Wayne Dyer who stated that fear can be thought of as an acronym that stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” In other words, something untrue took on the appearance of being true…in our minds. Like I described in an earlier post, fear can be likened to our childhood fear of monsters. It is sort of like thinking there is a monster in your closet, and only by turning on the light can we see it was just a pile of dirty clothing creating scary shadows in the dark. Sometimes our fears can appear to be extremely real. Our minds can play incredible tricks on us, if we let it.
Fear can cause delusions throughout our entire lives. Fears about money, relationships, self-worth, safety…you name it. The things we can worry about are innumerable. One of the greatest shared fears amongst humans today is that we are not enough. There is not a human alive who hasn’t experienced fear to one degree or another. We all have them. However, each us has the choice as to whether or not we choose to believe them, or whether we choose to surrender them to the insanity they are.
I realize this is easier said than done, especially if you have had the same fear for a long time. Reason being is that if you’ve had a fear for a long time, your life can begin to reflect it back to you. We see in the world what we believe to be true. For example, if you believe that money is evil, you will begin to see instances in your life that show this to be true. From this understanding, you can see how difficult it can be to change our fearful beliefs. What can be helpful, is if you begin to realize that nothing is happening outside of you. Everything you see in the world around you is a reflection of your inner state of being. If you are seeing lots of hatred in the world, the hate the you are really seeing is existing inside of yourself. The best metaphor I have heard in regards to this concept is that of a mirror. Imagine that you are standing in front of a mirror, and you see a smudge on your face. You wouldn’t try to wipe the smudge off of the mirror to remove it from your face? Life is no different. The things you see in your life can only ever be changed within you, for everything is a reflection of you.
How does this relate to fear? Well, every fear we have is a delusion that exists inside of ourselves. No matter how convincing it might appear to be on the outside, fears are not true. They are insane thoughts that, for one reason or another, you choose to believe. If you find that you live with fear of any kind, one way to free yourself, is to recognize them for what they are–an illusion. A lie that keeps you from experiencing the fullness and loving truth of this beautiful life experience. A lie that warps your perspective so that you live in a dreamlike state even when you are technically awake. That is truly what it means to become “enlightened” or “awakened”–to see the world in all of its loving beauty; and to surrender your fears in the realization that they were never real to begin with.
I love the question, “What would you do with your life if you knew there was nothing to fear?” That question holds so much power because I believe that is how we would truly desire to live our lives if we didn’t imprison ourselves with these fearful thoughts. The truth of the matter is that there really isn’t anything to fear. No matter what you do in life, you cannot fail, because everything is an opportunity to experience a difference circumstance of your own creation. My wish for the world is that everyone will one day remember how truly powerful we really are; that there is nothing to ever fear; and how unconditionally loved we really are. The truth of the matter is that you are pretty incredible and so is the rest of the world. Everything is happening for your highest good. Remember the good that exists in everything, and your individual world will reflect the awesomeness of all that exists back to you.
I leave you with this closing thought: The dandelion doesn’t shield himself from the wind, or fear the destruction of his life as he knows it. He lets the wind take him, for he trusts there are better things ahead. Love to you.
If you are rooted in reality there will be no fear. — Jaggi Vasudev
Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us. — Marianne Williamson