What are we so afraid of?

When we were little, we loved to get scared. Boo.  We’d watch scary movies, go on the highest Roller Coasters. We love sneaking up on people and startling them. We’d laugh, and call that fun right? We caused it and it was temporary. Then getting a little older we’d start to be afraid of the dark. What was out there? Are there monsters under the bed, or snakes in the closet. And now, a little older, I’m afraid she won’t go out with me. I’m afraid I won’t pass the test, or get into the school or job I want.

Today, we’ve got all kinds of fears, fear of failure, fear of public speaking, fear of success, fear of death, even fear of fear itself. They’ve even got a name for it phobophobia.  And in today’s volatile and social media led climate, we are constantly inundated with fear from everywhere. all the time. What are we so afraid up? And what  exactly is fear, anyway? 

Fear is an involuntary emotion that signals immediate danger. Someone or something is dangerous. They pose some kind of threat and are likely to cause harm to our physical, emotional or psychological well-being. This can be real or imagined. And we can learn to become afraid of nearly anything. 

Basically, what it all comes down to, is the fear of the unknown. If it’s unknown, Why be afraid of it?  That’s why we invented worry. Worry is a choice! I’ve heard it said that worry is a prayer for what we don’t want.

We’re afraid of what people will think if they see the real us, so we put on a facade. The racism we experience is a result of fear of something different. You don’t look like me. So I’m afraid of you. We’re afraid of bosses. We’re afraid of teachers. Afraid of those guys who drive real fast. We’re afraid to meet someone with a beard. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” —Marie Curie

Where did all this fear come from? Why are we so afraid? Look where we live. On Earth. Beautiful Sunny rejuvenative forgiving loving Earth. Look at the bodies we are in. Functional, self perpetuating, self-healing. And we don’t even have to change the oil.

I was talking to a friend the other day, who’s mom died after a long illness. She said, “she’s in a better place’. A lot of people say that. If it’s a better place, why are we so afraid of it?  Dying is the most natural thing common to all life. No one gets out of here alive. Reminds me of a country song – fraid of living fraid dying.

What might happen if we weren’t so afraid of everything? If we didn’t worry about everything? How might that work? Start by stopping, and looking around. How are you right now? Are you safe? Good. Are you hungry? Eat! Cold? Put on Clothes? Lonely? Call someone. We have the capability to take care of ourselves. We are even capable taking care of others. I realize this can be a very small view, when there is the whole world to think about, but this small view is something we have complete control over. If we have control over us, why worry?  

Sometimes we’re afraid of something because of something in the past that happened to us – or someone we know. Let it go. Remember Raffiki from ‘The Jungle Book’? — ‘It does not mattah it is in the past”

Very simply, in this most perfect and always present moment of right now, there is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing!  

Do you really want to live your lives in fear? You don’t have to.  Stop. Breathe. Look around. Have gratitude for what is. And know that you are safe. 

Just sayin’

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts. They don’t scare me at all.