What are you afraid of?
Take a moment and ponder your fears....don't be afraid. I am not talking about the typical stuff, heights, edges, snakes, the scale and libertarians. I mean real things that go bump in the night.
Like being afraid you will run out of money...that you cannot provide for your needs. So you pay bills at the last possible second, sometimes even late because you are afraid to send out the money. You certainly don't pay a bill early...you are afraid something might happen. You don't spend money to fix something in your house or your car or your mouth because you are afraid to spend the money...the problem exacerbates and the money to fix it quadruples. You ignore the phone because you are afraid of what bill collectors will say. Awful, awful fear.
If money is not your fear, great, but look at the pattern. Fear runs in the same pattern. Fear is the same for us all. It does take different shapes, different themes...but it follows the same pattern.
Until you face it, and begin to have faith.
I know that some of you will dismiss this immediately as a religious reference, and actually it is for me. But no matter what you believe in faith dismisses fear.
Do you need faith in yourself? Face it.....
I always wondered what the heck that meant, face your fears. Then something happened the other day that was my waterloo moment. I am weary of the same problem cropping up over and over again. It became obvious to me I haven't learned how to be fearless in the face of this problem. Being fearless is a pretty great attribute...but I am afraid to be fearless. I have an empty cup of faith.
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| From the amazing Corrie Ten Boom |
What happens when you let go and just leap off the cliff? I have written about this is in the past, but nothing has changed for me. I am still stuck on the edge.....holding on for dear life.....unable to just jump off.
Fear keeps us from trying so many things. Fear keeps us safe, like some kind of creepy Stockholm syndrome. Safe, but the captor is a harsh taskmaster...taking from us our peace.
What are you afraid of? And is it worth your peace? Wouldn't you really like a miracle?
Thanks for the push to ask these questions, Donna. Fear keeps us 'safe' although it's an illusion. Fear also keeps us from growth and realizing our full potential. What I try to remember about fear is that if you just do something, anything, no matter how small, to challenge it, then it loses power. Thanks again for this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, you are right about fear losing power. That is the part I keep forgetting
DeleteThis really resonates with me because I have let fear rule my whole life and this one of my great goals for 2015 to face these fears and overcome them. I've started with quitting smoking which is something I have done for 30 years. I have so many blessings and I want to enjoy them not be constantly worried about them.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear how your journey goes. Quitting smoking is so huge!! I know how hard that is...so you have made an amazing start on this year. Let me know when you learn something new, or if something works for you
DeleteYou know, it took me til i was into my 50s to "get" faith and I assume one day soon it will be tested. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteI bet you are tested all the time....but you don't see it because of the strength you have. You aren't afraid.
DeleteSo, what is the solution? How do we "get" faith? What can we do to be able to "jump off the edge" and then not say "I told you so" when we fail?
ReplyDeleteAnd this comment is so inspiring because you have put together in a few sentences the problem. Lets reason together and figure it out. Because fear keeps us from so much happiness
DeleteMy father taught me to Feed my Faith or Feed my Fear. What I feed will grow and what I starve will die.
ReplyDeleteI have fears now thatmI'm a widow; but it is helping to take "leaps of faith" at times . I never knew the meaning until I literally got in a car with another man....secured a credit card all on my own.....stopped leaving lights on all night! I have a comforting friendship, a card for emergencies and nothing has gotten me in the dark! There are more fears and worries, but I am getting braver. Great post, Donna.
ReplyDeleteI think we develop faith by continuing on despite the fear. There was this saying someone told me when I was trying to decide whether to take the leap and get married again after my husband died….can't remember it exactly but something like, "You don't need courage if you're not afraid." So I took the courage and went forward anyway, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
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