Facing Fear
I have been experiencing “recursive thoughts” in the last six month regarding the concepts of fear and why we do what we do. I have been struggling finding sufficient answers and explanations to ease my mind.
During the course of the last year I have managed to develop a number of silly fears – I have hidden behind the bad experience excuse, rationalized my fear by telling myself I was becoming older, wiser, and more responsible. With responsibility comes caution, right?
Riaan Manser’s words “If you are going to be brave you have to face the fear” literally jolted me to reality and haunted me all day.
As I listened to Riaan’s thought process and his attitude I could relate. It’s pretty much how I think and operate when I am dead-set on something. Yet I haven’t been dead-set on much lately - wasting time on silly fears, consequences and a series of possible traumatic scenarios. How this weak and unacceptable mind-set happened in the last couple of months, I cannot tell you. I just know that it is the end of it.
I realised that I need to be really honest and conscious about my fears. It’s the only way you can be brave. My focus is to fiercely get a grip on my fears and to work my way towards what makes me happy and to things I want.
Thanks Riaan, thought provoking and inspiring talk!
20/07/2008 at 2:23 pm
I is true, it is easier to keep busy than to sit down and think. It is in that time when everything quiets down that the real haunting starts…
When you are alone in your bed, maybe getting ready to go to sleep, there is no TV or radio playing, no one to talk to, no work to keep you busy, just you and your thoughts.
That’s when the little demons(fears)start nibbling at you, and you try so hard to suppress them, but they just will not go away.
The question start cycling through your head:
What have I done?
Why did that happen to me?
Why doesn’t people like me?
Will I ever find love, will I ever be able to love?
Where am going to get money to pay my bills?
What does the future hold, will I make it, will I be
successful…
Until they start closing around your hart, and applying so much pressure, it feels like it is going to explode. You find yourself gasping for breath as you start drowning in this sea of self doubt, self hate and self pity.
Until you can’t handle it anymore and you start looking for your escape, alcohol,drugs,sex,food,work…
What we should really be doing is, facing our fears one by one, cuz if you don’t they will just pile up until there is no escape left and we will drown.
I for one know the excuse “it is easier said than done” better than most and most likely will choose the escape over the remedy, but for all your strong willed people out there, sort your shit out.
Like Dr. Phil says “Get real”
We have only one change and we all have to leave this world at some point, so try to live your life in such a way, so that no one is happy to see you go.
Remember to have fun along the way!!!