Add & Subtract - Fear

Today we look Fear in the eye.

ADD CENTERING

Fear is essentially a disconnection from our Self. When we forget our true nature - the strength, peace, love of our Core - our body-mind gives us feedback in the form of fear.

An image I often get when experiencing fear is an astronaut floating off into dark, cold space with lifeline severed, utterly alone in an unstoppable drift into death. The horror stuff the little ego mind relishes.

The highly uncomfortable sensation, feeling and thoughts of fear alert us to the fact we have let our consciousness wander away from the reality of our Self. We have lost trust in our greater being, and our confidence and self-esteem suffers.

However, when we reframe our fear state as biofeedback about where our awareness has gone, we have conscious choice again. We can remind ourselves of our indestructible, eternal essence.

The prodigal child can return home once more

Author Susan Jeffers:

“All my life I have never heard a mother call out to her child as he or she goes off to school, “Take a lot of risks today, darling.” She is more likely to convey to her child, “Be careful, darling.” This “Be careful” carries with it a double message: “The world is really dangerous out there” … and … “you won’t be able to handle it.” What Mom is really saying, of course, is, “If something happens to you, I won’t be able to handle it.” You see, she is only passing on her lack of trust in her ability to handle what comes her way…

Remember that underlying all our fears is a lack of trust in ourselves…

Every time you encounter something that forces you to “handle it,” your self-esteem is raised considerably. You learn to trust that you will survive, no matter what happens. And in this way your fears are diminished immeasurably…

Security is not having things; it’s handling things”

Source: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Dynamic Techniques for Turning Fear, Indecision and Anger into Power, Action and Love

SUBTRACT ESCALATION

When we believe what fear tells us - that we are weak, fragile little bodies under constant threat of annihilation - our mind adds fuel to the fire. We load fear onto fear, escalating our distressed state into agitation, anxiety and eventually panic.

As powerful, creative beings, our attention will feed whatever we give belief and focus to. We forget that it is our consciousness that gives the fear energy and a sense of reality.

By catching ourselves early on in the downward spiral, we can lift ourselves out of deep-seated thought patterns, replace them with uplifting truths and prevent unnecessary suffering.

Suggestion: Next time you notice fear creeping in, read aloud some inspiring words (such as from Susan Jeffers or A Course in Miracles) and interrupt the fear/ego-hijacking before it takes over.

From A Course in Miracles:

“The first corrective step is knowing it is fear…

1. Know first this is fear.

2. Fear arises from lack of love.

3. The only remedy for lack of love is perfect love

4. Perfect love is the At-one-ment”

Also:

“Fear not to look upon the lovely truth in you. Look through the cloud of guilt that dims your vision, and look past darkness to the holy place where you will see the light.”

And finally, a beautiful prayer:

“I would like to pray that my will be united with thine, recognizing that thy perfect love will suffice (or correct) for my imperfect love.

I pray that I may accept the Atonement with conviction, recognizing its inestimable worth, and my own divine worth as part of this identification with thine.

I pray that my fear be replaced by an active sense of thy love, and thy continual willingness to help me overcome the split or divided will which is responsible for my difficulty with this”

Source: A Course in Miracles: Complete and Annotated Edition (Circle of Atonement)

We need not let fear rule our lives.