Overcome Fear

Fear is a powerful energy. It’s probably one of the most influential energies that affect your daily life. It can persuade you to take certain actions. It can alter your beliefs. It can motivate you. And even harm or protect you. Fear is defined as an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. First, it is an emotion, which is a conscious mental reaction to something. But fear can be anticipation which means nothing has happened yet. Or the awareness meaning something is or did happen. Meaning you can have a fear of maybe seeing a bear in the woods. Or fear that you are seeing a bear in the woods. Normally you have a stronger reaction to something actually happening. But for some the anticipation of an event can be just as or even more traumatic feeling. So how can we discern anticipated from actual fear situations? How can we learn to adjust our reaction or emotional response to fear? How can we learn to overcome and move through fear with ease?

Why am I talking about fear? I have had so many clients dealing with fear over the last few years. Most don’t even realize how much their lives are being affected by it. But our society is swimming in fear. On the news, social media, in the workplace, in social situations. Fear is being used to influence, control and persuade people’s actions and beliefs. Something as simple as an advertisement can evoke fear. Get checked for this disease or you may be too late. Get life insurance so your family is protected if something happens to you. Get the latest car to prevent harm to your family. Buy this type of cleaning product to keep your kids safe. Fear is a big motivator to take action. But all of these examples are the anticipation that something might happen. It isn’t actually happening to you at that moment. But you can lean into anticipated fear and feel it the same way you would if a bear was standing in front of you.

If you are constantly bombarded with fear energy what do you think that does to your mental, physical and energetic health? You are in fight or flight energy all the time. Your cortisol spikes, your body responds like it is in danger. And this long-term fear energy can have dangerous consequences to your wellbeing. But most people do not realize they are in a fear state. They do not realize the anticipated event may never happen. They don’t need to worry, prepare or put so much thought, time and energy into something that “might” happen one day. Now I’m not saying never worry or prepare for the unknown. But what is healthy awareness and what is damaging anticipation?

There is a lot of unnecessary fear in the world today. Most of it is anticipated and not reality. What if this happens? What if someday the government, education, finance or health agencies do “fill in the blank”? It’s one thing to be prepared if something happens. But it is unhealthy to create a false reality based on anticipated fear. This turns into accusing people of things they haven’t done. Assuming bad intentions by someone. Creating a story about why someone made a decision or held a belief. It is perceiving people as threating when there never was or is a threat. This is when fear gets dangerous. The false reality created by anticipated fear can influence people to act in ways they never would. They may be more defensive, expect bad things from people, create a version of truth where they are a victim when there was never a crime. This is when it becomes dangerous for the person anticipating fear and for the people they interact with.

Look at your life. Where is anticipated fear influencing you? Are you worrying about something that has not happened? Is it stopping you from moving ahead in life? Are you creating false realities where you are being emotionally attacked, when there was no intent by another person? Are you assuming danger in a situation where there is none and accusing someone of something you should not? Is anticipated fear controlling your emotions, reactions and beliefs? Are you present and dealing with what is happening to you at this moment? Or are you living in the future of an anticipated fear that may or may not happen?

The next time you feel fear in a situation, slow down. Ask yourself, is this happening right now? If not, what is the anticipated fear? Acknowledge it, but do not create a false reality on something that never happened. Overcome the instinct to live in a fear state. Take back control of your emotional, physical and energetic reaction. Notice who or what is trying to create anticipated fear in your life. And for what reason. Do you want to be influenced by people or situations that keep you in a fear state? Get more awareness of how much fear energy you allow in your daily life. Once you do, you will be able to navigate and overcome the fear energy with ease.