Fear

The nature of fear is on my mind this morning—how crippling it can be; how it limits all we can be and all we can do; how like a mean-spirited thief, it creeps in, holds us, like hostages, in its grip and then goes about smashing our hopes, wishes, and dreams into smithereens,  leaving them and sometimes us, in a heap.

So what is to be done?  Marianne Williamson reminds us that fear is more a spiritual than a psychological issue.  Fear, she says, is about love, or rather, the absence of love, that even our biggest, baddist, most terrible fears can be transformed into love, if we call for assistance from the Divine. 

This week I’ve been putting her advice to the test.  Every time I am aware that a fear-filled thought has snuck in on me, I take a time-out, whisper a prayer, and then do several rounds of breathing in love and breathing out fear.  It works.

“There is no fear where love exists.  Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love.” –1 John 4:18, International Standard Version, 2008

“If you are dealing with fears and insecurities from old head programs, have compassion for yourself. Just love your insecurities, fears and resentments. Release and forgive them as they come up. Judging, beating or repressing insecurities just gives them power. Then you have a pattern that never gets resolved. Recognize that your real security is built from your relationship with your own heart.”  Sara Paddison, The Hidden Power of the Heart

“Love is the truth that sets us free…”
—Robert Alan

Enjoy your day!