QUESTION:
It's so
helpful to hear about your lack of fear. I long to be like you in that regard,
I try to picture it sometimes. Just standing there thinking...ha, I am safe,
depression cannot get me for more then a few mins...ha! Now that sounds like
living.
ANSWER:
I may have
said that I am a pretty fearless person on occasion. I probably meant fearless
because I am a risk taker and I don’t mind dumping myself into a situation
where I don’t know anybody, and have no idea how the meeting, or conference or
whatever will turn out or what others might be expecting of me. I figure I will
be able to handle anything that comes up with common sense, a spirit of good
will and the fact that I’m not a quitter, I am honest and I always try to do my
best and treat other people as I would like to be treated.
But of
course I cannot be fearless in the strict sense of the word. Fear is the basic
motivating force in a human being. We only have one psychological defense
mechanism—the flight or fight response. But to sink down into that fear/anxiety
unnecessarily is something I have learned not to tolerate in myself. There is
always something I can do other than think about the fact that suddenly find myself full of fear. As soon as I recognize that I am thinking I am afraid I realize
that I am not in reality because reality doesn’t contain unnecessary fear.
If you are
“in fear for your life” usually you are too busy at the task at hand (trying to
save your life) to be afraid. The definition of reality is giving a pure act of
attention to the task at hand. Also known as “being in the NOW.”
So when the
fear makes its appearance I take steps to situate myself in reality as quickly
as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment