I was reading a chapter this morning out of a book a friend of mine is writing and I am inspired to touch on fear and fearlessness.
In my life, I have had the great honor to be graced in the presence of many brave women. But today, the two warriors that come to my heart fast and furious are my brave warrior friends Julie and Chris. Both have written their stories and both have risen from the ashes like the magnificent Pheonix bird. Born again was their theme; another opportunity to share their wisdom, their battle and to let us know that resurrection and renewal is our true nature.
Each moment a part of each of us dies only to be renewed, restored and revived. We are here for so many reasons that we may never understand. But what is true is spirit NEVER dies it can only be transformed into something more magnificent than before.
One of the many magic emotional potions in life is; ‘fear.’
Fear is the medicine, and the cure is learning to cultivate fearlessness.
Let us not run away but stand in the presence of the Almighty Grace of fear.
Whenever we are feeling scared, anxious, or a sense of dread, etc., that is the perfect time to lean into yourself and take notice. The fear that rises within our physical bodies is the attention getter, that golden moment to take notice of our breath, our mind chatter, and our heart matter. The question to ask, who am I?
The signals are going off letting us know the bell has rung, and it is time to show up and be counted. Feeling out of sorts or feeling dread and fear put us out of our depths for a reason, and it is different for everyone. But, everyone experiences fear in their lives sooner or later.
When fear shows up, it can be sudden, and our nervous system is working hard on wiring in the new way of thinking and reacting and acting. When fear shows up because of our thoughts about this that or the other, that is where we can find choice; we have the time it was not sudden. But all in all, fear is one of those uncomfortable moments, and we all know life can be and, is uncomfortable for a reason.
Being in tune with ourselves requires us to turn the light on of our internal wisdom and engage the mind and body. In a sense it is about gathering our wits and understanding, knowing this fear shall pass and how we respond will aid in the transitions from fear to fearlessness.
When fear shows up and it will, again and again, that is the perfect opportunity to practice compassion and clear thinking about what matters most, YOU.
It is the moment to shapeshift ourselves into the fearless warriors that we are meant to be; why else does fear show up, to show us and teach us how powerful and empowered we are at any given moment.
Let us fall in love with fear, that natural part of life, the fear that teaches us not to be afraid, but to embrace a new reality. Let us welcome fear and know that what rises out of fear is another opportunity to emerge from the ashes of life.
Each and every day I commit to my practice to live my truth. To declare that I AM not afraid to be who I AM or feel how I feel.
“Rather than going after these walls and barriers with a sledgehammer, we pay attention to them. With gentleness and honesty, we move closer to those walls. We touch them, and smell them and get to know them well. We become familiar with the strategies and beliefs we use to build these walls: what are the stories we tell ourselves? What repels me and what attracts me? Without calling what we see right or wrong, we simply look as objectively as we can. We can observe ourselves with humor, not getting overly serious, moralistic or uptight about the investigation. Year after year, we train in remaining open and receptive to whatever arises. Slowly, very slowly, the cracks in the walls seem to widen and, as if by magic, bodhicitta is able to flow freely.”
― Pema Chödrön, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
"Just Another BlaH BlaH BlaH BloG." 