Understanding Fear

In today's world there is a complexity to fear that can be mind boggling. We can find ourselves fearful of so many things coming from so many directions: fear of loss, fear of the unknown, fear of that which is out of our control, fear of emotional threats, fear of environmental threats, just to name a few. Fear can stop us from living our lives fully, can prevent us from reaping the bounty that life can be. To understand fear, you truly need to understand it's origins.

In the beginning, well before we were ever born, fear was the cornerstone to man's survival. Fear was the response that triggered our bodies to prepare for the three key survival responses: fight, flight, or fold. Fear resides in our emotional center - the part of our brain that held sway over our responses well before logic reared it's multidimensional head. Fear was king during a time when the human race focused 100% of it's time on food, water, and shelter/safety. Fear was key in ensuring that man lived to see another day. Then something happened.

Logic and language have taken the human race to places far beyond those early beginnings. We've been to the moon, we've cloned entire organisms, we've reordered our world in ways that were unimaginable to the original man. However, no matter how far we have come, no matter what the time and distance, fear is still with us. It is a part of our survival mechanism, and our bodies still react with the intent that fear has a purpose and that it's purpose embraces survival. The problem is, in today's world, fear can step in at the most inopportune and inappropriate moments. Where fear was once a welcome companion to survival, it has now become an obstacle to success and fulfillment.

There are no easy answers to this conundrum. For myself, just recognizing that fear, when it appears, can seem like a fish out of water. This recognition allows me to embrace it and, to some degree, put it to rest. You can give fear its due: I know that some people intentionally take risks and engage in risky behaviors. Fear and logic have the habit of dancing around each other, but logic can never truly touch fear, and when fear dominates, logic struggles for a hand hold. Awareness becomes the best determinant in managing fear. When fear is appropriate, let it lead you. When fear is not called for, honor that your body is responding in a way that has gotten mankind to this point. Give yourself the space and grace to move past fear, in these instances, into a place of logic. Make of your life what you want, fear should be your ally. You determine how it plays out in your life.