In light of the recent current events I decide it was time to discuss the subject of Fear. Fear is nothing more than an imagination of something you perceive will happen that hasn't happened yet. This idea came from my mindset coach Sam who was instrumental in helping me to see the reality rather than the perception I was creating in my own mind.
Often times, we find ourselves so afraid to go out into the world and experience new things because of unrealistic fear. This means that we are afraid to face what we perceive to be reality when really what we are afraid of is the imagination of something that hasn't even happened. I can say this firsthand, because I have done the same thing myself.
For many years after my car accident I was what I termed, "Agoraphobic". I was never diagnosed with it, but I was deathly afraid to go outside of my own house. This fear was due to the imagination I had created where I would get locked out, become disoriented, or hurt in some way. The feeling became so overwhelming I was unable to drive a car. This is no way to live life. Once I came to terms with the difference between perception and reality I was able to overcome the debilitating fear, and get back out into the world.
There are obvious reasons we need to be mindful of our surroundings, and events. However, we do not need to live in fear of them. This kind of imagination can often times lead to things coming true because we actually make them happen ourselves. I know some of you are saying, "I didn't make that happen, or do that to myself!" Sorry, but if you continue to focus on a thing happening often you create the frequency and the path for it to manifest in your life. It happen to me so I am speaking form experience. We have to except that life is going on around us, and if we are mindful of the "pitfalls" and risks associated with living we can avoid some of the unpleasantness that comes from the balance in life. Don't allow yourself to sit around and worry about something happening, but rather be proactive in ways to avoid what you can. An example would be something like worrying what would happen if the bank shut down, and you couldn't get to your money...then take the time to remove an appropriate amount as you can and put in a safe place for such an emergency. Another would be fear that someone might "steal" or take your lunch from the office fridge...so take the time to mark your name on our lunch with indications that it is yours and not to be removed. Simply taking the time to avoid unpleasant situations is much more productive than to worry "if" they might happen.
When you feel fear do you respond with positive affirmation, or do you lean towards the negatives? Well, the best thing to do is to evaluate whether you fear is real, or imagined. Real fear is a fight or flight response to true danger in your life, imagined fear is created by imbedded thoughts or ideas. Evaluate which is true for you in the moment. Obviously if you are physically running from something then you have encountered a "real" threat and should not stop running until you have reached adequate safety. If you are thumbing through "what if's" in you head then it is most likely an imagination fear. Let it go! It hasn't happened and most likely won't. To go over "Pros and Cons" lists, and discern proper decisions for your life is not imagination fears. It is the process of making good sound decisions. Imagination fear is thinking the worst case scenarios, and the worst thing that can happen. Don't do this to yourself. It encourages uncertainty, which in turn creates doubt. My friend Jared says, "The antidote to doubt is certainty!" I believe it!
Recently I found myself in a situation where my imagination fear had crept back in. Unless were are on guard we can find ourselves falling back into old habits. It's not often that I find myself feeling fear, but when I do I'm quicker to catch it now. My imagination fear comes in the form of me asking myself a variety of questions relating to how I could become hurt, or experience emotional pain. These days I feel that I am a bit more sensitive to emotional pain than I used to be. I still have a thick skin, but I am much more sensitive than I used to be. This is not a bad thing to be sensitive in a compassionate sort of way.
To deal with this fear I simply took the time to remind myself that everything I was feeling was nothing more than imagination; fear is not real! I continued to affirm that I'm a strong individual, and that I was not going to be injured in any way whatsoever by any decision I was making that would improve the quality of my life. I do my very best to approach everything in life with a positive attitude, and a positive outlook. So the best thing that I could do in this situation was to remind myself that good things will come to me as long as I continue to be positive, and stay on a positive frequency attracting positive things into my life.
This may sound foreign to some people, but I assure you that you will feel a whole lot better when you face fear from a position of empowerment. Fear isn't real! Sounds funny doesn't it? I used to think the same. However, with a lot of practice and implementation I have learned to overcome and conquer imagination fear. I have also learned the difference between perception and reality. Perception is what I perceive to happen, and reality is what actually is happening. Once you know the difference between the two it is easily to discern whether your fear is real or an imagined perception.
How does sensationalized media events affect your perception. Does it increase your imagined fears? Do you find yourself glued to the tv? Do you log on to social media sites to find out whether others are worse off than you? These are all very legitimate ways of dealing with imagined fear, but they are not healthy for you to engage in. There is a need for validation of what we are feeling so we can find ourselves caught up in the excitement. The best thing you can do for yourself is to realize that the events are not directly affecting you, (Providing they are not...I will deal with it if it is in a moment), and reaffirm the reality that exists for your current situation. Don't allow yourself to get wrapped up in the negative that can be generated by mass media coverage, and sensationalism that stems from that. You can stay in touch with current events, but continue on a positive path. If you find yourself feeling the need to get involved do so in a manner that helps those who may need it. Volunteer, or donate to the cause in a positive way. This helps others, and helps you too. Don't fall into the fear mode, but rather the tangible mode of philanthropist instead. Philanthropy is not only monetary either. Giving of yourself in anyway that is positive and has a positive outcome is a good thing.
On the other hand, if you indeed are part of the the current events and they are directly affecting you it is important to get a real handle on what is the reality of your situation. Evaluate your surroundings, and discern what is the truth. No matter what the situation is the only way you can benefit yourself is to know the difference between what is real and what is imagination. The things you can do something about then do something about them, the ones you can not leave them behind you. It does no good to lament over things that you can not change. Pain, and grief are a normal part of life. Pain is usually the first to set in, and then grief. Get a strong hold on the stages of grief and let them pass as they should. Don't allow yourself to stop grief from happening, because all in all it will happen whether you want it to or not. I prefer to pass through the stages as quickly as I can so as not to develop any unrealistic fears by "stalling out" in any one stage or the other. I have experienced grief to a grand scale in my life, and I have felt the result of rage when I was unwilling to allow grief to pass. Trust me when I tell you the rage was far worse pain than any of the grief I felt. So, don't do it! Remember...life is about balance. Take the good with the bad, and be a better person for it who can help others see the truth.
"Live with Purpose and Empowerment!"
Blessings and I wish you all the very best life has to offer you; you deserve it!
Annie :)
