I spoke with a professional stunt man recently who makes a living jumping out of planes and falling from high buildings, and he too admitted that he is always afraid before the act. Is there anyone truly fearless, and completely without fear? I do know that many handle fear well and appear to be in control. We all probably know someone who does. But what about facing our own fears?
Fear keeps us paralyzed and stuck in a way of being and a place where we exist but do not live. Time passes by in our life with little or no joy. Fear exists, it can't be denied. Doing so only puts it on hold. Fear is there to be faced head on, to accept and then rise above. Fear comes in many measures, very large, very small and anything in between. It can make you feel hot and cold, makes you feel like you want to hide, make excuses and do anything rather than face whatever the present obstacle of fear might be. Fears don't need to make sense. They can often appear quite ridiculous once we start facing them. Yet they bring very real feelings.
To face fear and let it go is the hardest thing in the world to do until you have done it. Then comes the sense of relief, of triumph, and of strength. Facing our fears - even small ones - allows our self-confidence to grow, giving us a greater sense of self and of who we really are. It helps to talk about fear, even to write things down. |
