As I reflect on the past 13 years I reflect on the stages of my own evolving consciousness that I have had to go through – sometimes once, sometimes over and over and some right now. I hope what I have learned may help you.
FACING FEAR
Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger with strong roots in human evolution. If we didn’t feel fear, we couldn’t protect ourselves from legitimate threats, which in our ancestral world frequently resulted in life-or-death consequences. In the modern world, we often fear situations where the stakes are much lower, but our body and brain are still treating the threat as lethal. This can trigger an extreme, and oftentimes unnecessary, fight-flight-or-freeze response. As a result, we may find ourselves avoiding challenges that could benefit us in the long run or hanging back during social interactions for no good reason.
In the past, our ancestors feared immediate danger, from volcanic eruptions to hungry predators. Common fears today have more to do with impressions made and how another’s judgment affects one’s self-worth; this hyper-focus on image is only exacerbated by the rise of the internet and its social media culture. Managing these fears is confusing when they don’t necessarily correlate with a clear or obvious danger. Finding ways to let go of one’s fears and pursuing more positivity can help as well as exposing the self to one’s personal demons is often the best way to move past them.
I’ve always wondered why people are so scared of the silliest things. It turns out it doesn’t take much to trigger the fear response in most people’s brains. We become afraid when we encounter things and situations that we don’t understand, can’t control, and/or will cause harm to us.
Aside from the fears we are born with, we also have conditioned fears. These are formed when we have a negative experience and are afraid of something similar happening again. They’re often irrational because our brain tricks us into believing that similar circumstances as the event will lead to the same frightening outcome.
When the fear of feeling our emotional and physical pain becomes more significant than our intention to heal, we fall into a state of resistance and contraction. When we resist and contract we fail to release the energy of this pain entirely, and part or all of it remains in the body.
The ongoing presence of this energy in our body literally influences our lives on a daily basis through our thoughts, choices, and actions. It can also affect the physical body in a myriad of ways including illness.
It is not until it comes back into our awareness through self-inquiry or another event that brings it up into our conscious awareness that we can release it. At that time it must be felt and released, or it will remain stuck indefinitely and impacting our lives in some way.
Fear shows us where we have room for growth. By consistently avoiding fear, we don’t make use of life’s opportunities to get to know the unknown. We’re not exploring the full potential of what life has to offer us. I’ve learned that every one of us is able to develop courage and overcome fears.
While negative beliefs, feelings, and thought patterns interfere with our present relationships, awareness and understanding can transform triggers into opportunities to address our needs directly instead of reacting to what we perceive as threatening. It will feel uncomfortable at first – guaranteed – but everything you have ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
Kevin T. Cahill is an award winning sales professional and consultant specializing in the art of managing change and achieving great results. As the founder of The Change Revolution, this international best selling author and speaker inspires men and women alike. As someone who has mastered the art of resilience and hope, Kevin’s philosophy as a clarity builder is strategic and results driven. Kevin’s passion is to equip individuals and organizations with a renewed sense of clarity and excitement, knowing that positive change will bring about positive gains. His exciting creation The Change Revolution offers a winning blueprint for navigating through change and achieving success.
Speaking inquiries email bookings@kevintcahill.com or call 519-836-7989.