go, even if you feel fear!!!! - #dd3
- du
- Jul 1, 2024
- 5 min read
sometimes, it's incredibly difficult to do something, no matter how simple, simply because of the fears we harbor...
fear of being ignored, fear of being ridiculed, fear of not being understood, fear of not being accepted, fear of not achieving what we desire, fear of missing an opportunity with something insufficient, fear of being seen only for the mistakes we make, or even the fear of feeling fear in the process....
those who find themselves in this state often think: "i wish i were brave and not fearful".....
but therein lies the problem: we haven't been taught to understand, accept, and deal with our fears....
firstly, we need to understand that having courage is not the opposite of having fear... fears are part of everyone's journey, and when they stand before us, they reflect in two possible attitudes: confronting them (courage) or pushing them away, like an escape, avoiding them (cowardice)... in other words, as Aristotle already reflected, the opposite of courage is cowardice, not fear...
it's how our biological fight-or-flight mechanism works... we tend to fight the battles we believe we are prepared to win and flee from those we believe we will lose, like a primitive survival instinct.....
think about that feeling of tightness in your chest when you need to speak in public, or the urge to run away when you encounter a huge dog on the street.....
however, escape itself is not negative....
when it's one of the courageous possibilities for dealing with fear, it also protects us from real dangers and allows us to reorganize our strength to face challenges when we are more prepared....
imagine an animal being chased by a predator; flight is essential for its survival......
however, when flight becomes the only response to our fears, it can prevent us from growing and evolving.......
if we avoid all situations that cause us fear, such as speaking in public, applying for a new job, or starting a relationship, we can miss valuable opportunities and imprison ourselves in a context as limiting as the cowardice of neither fighting nor having the courage to flee....
remember, the opposite of courage is cowardice, not fear...
fear will always present itself, but it is up to us to face it in the best possible way...
of course, facing it requires preparation, weapons, tools, techniques, support, allies, and everything possible and necessary...... and even then, some battles will be won and others not, but fear will only be overcome if we face it....
but what if we look at fear not just as an enemy to be defeated, but as an ally on life's journey????
epictetus, in his teachings on stoicism, argued that most of our suffering comes not from the events themselves, but from our interpretation of them... fear, in this sense, can be seen as a warning sign, a call for caution and prevention.....
this means acknowledging the fear you feel, seeking preparations, exercises, thoughts, etc... finding support from friends, family, psychology and psychiatry professionals..... to deal with fear, whether to face it or to transform it into an ally....
we can resort to breathing techniques to calm anxiety, meditation to quiet the mind, therapy to understand its roots, or even seek emotional support..... cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, can be a powerful tool for dealing with fears that are not based on reality, helping us to identify and modify distorted thoughts......
moreover, clarity of reality is another important weapon in combating fear...
often, our fears are amplified by catastrophic and distorted thoughts.... questioning the validity of our fears, analyzing them rationally, can help us to diminish their intensity and to see situations more objectively...
nietzsche, in turn, explored overcoming fear as a path to self-discovery and the affirmation of individual will......
for him, when we allow ourselves to confront our fears, we break the chains that bind us to limiting beliefs and open the way for the authentic expression of our being...
however, this overcoming is not about denying fear, but about understanding and integrating it into our experience, using it as an engine for personal growth....
therefore, if something that frightens you arises in your life, face it, go for it even with fear...
and if everything you do goes wrong, may you have erred with pleasure and, thus, learned more about what works or not to defeat your fear once and for all.....
but understand, defeating fear will not end it, it will only make it work as it should, as an agent that induces caution, zeal in everything you do, so that you are prepared for the adversities of life...
the journey to deal with your fears and expectations can be an intricate journey through the deepest layers of the human psyche....
it is a process that confronts us with the roots of our fears, often ingrained by past experiences or even by the voices that echo from the expectations of others....
it is worth remembering that fear, although it may seem like an insurmountable obstacle, is often a wise teacher, a guide to alert us to real or imagined dangers....
the art is, then, to understand this feeling, to embrace it as an ally on the journey of self-discovery....
as happens in the paintings of expressionist painters like munch, where fear manifests itself in vibrant colors and distortions, expressing existential anguish.....
in literature, where we find memorable characters who face their fears, such as captain ahab from moby dick or frodo in "the lord of the rings"...
in entertainment, as in "the power of the dog," or in so many other media where fear and courage also echo art, reflecting the complexity of the human experience.....
therefore, i emphasize, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to move forward, even amidst uncertainties and fears.... after all, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself (franklin d. roosevelt)
knowing that, even with all the preparation, some battles will be won and others not, but fear will only be overcome if we face it....
it is like the warrior who marches into battle, not devoid of fear, but armed with determination to face the unknown......
try to write down one or more fears that afflict you and start thinking about how you can prepare to face them.... if necessary, find appropriate help...
until next time!!!
so, are you ready to face your fears???
share your experiences in the comments...
your opinion is important....
want to delve into other deep reflections???
in the last text, we explored the universe of "absolute truths".....
it's worth checking out!... [read here]
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