Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Thank Goodness for Problems!

“It is in the whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn.” ― M. Scott Peck

All of us prefer to avoid problems.  But when we think back on the important things we learned in life, we realize that most of our strengths today come from handling problems in the past.  The challenge  is when we face a problem to day we to be able to be grateful for the problem.  Unfortunately, we don't know what we're learning as we're tackling the problem, and we may face some uncomfortable feelings.  But facing the problem with acceptance instead of avoiding the problem may help us to solve it and grow.

Pain cannot be avoided.  But suffering (pain - acceptance) can be avoided.  Face your pain.  Accept your problems.  Take a deep breath and live yourself into the answers to the problems you face.  If you're in a dark tunnel at present, and the light at the end is small or even invisible, keep hope alive that there is light at the end.  And keep walking until you see it.  Hope will walk with you.

"Hope, like a stranger, came to my door
I was afraid, I was rude "What are you coming here for? Have you come to stay Or are you just passing through? I've seen your face But I do not know you" And he said, "You know me, But I've had to remain Hidden in the shadows Of your sorrow and pain For you have lived your life As a slave, so it seems Believing your nightmares Instead of your dreams." Bob Bennett

Thursday, March 13, 2014

What is FEAR?

What is F E A R to you?

False Evidence Appearing Real
Failure Expected And Received
Forget (or F...) Everything And Run
Frantic Efforts to Appear Recovered (Real)
Feeling Everything's Really Awful
Few Arrive Ever Rejoicing
False Expectations (Egos, Evidence, Emotions, Experiences..) Appearing Real
Feelings Every Alcoholic Rejects
Forever Escaping And Retreating
Fools Every Alcoholic Repeatedly
Forgetting Everything About Reality
Future Events Already Ruined
Forgetting Everything's All Right
Forgetting Everything About Reality

Notice that many of these acronyms have a focus on the future.  We are thinking about the future and we become afraid.  

Try choosing to be in the present instead.  Notice I said choose.  Fear will arise.  It's unclear if we have the power to stop fear from coming into our bodies and awareness.  It's pretty clear that when fear has arrived it will affect our physical bodies, our experience of the present, and our hopes, feelings, and awareness.  Fear changes us.  So when it arrives.... notice it... and...

CHOOSE to BE in the PRESENT....

Breathe...now...this one moment...notice what fear does to your heart rate, breathing, temperature, thoughts, feelings, hopes, awareness....

Now choose to be present....instead of thinking the thoughts that fear brings on...just be... breathe...notice...be aware....

Take this moment to notice something in the present and fully experience it.  Perhaps use beginner's mind to notice some object near you.  Afterwards, notice how your fear and your awareness has changed.

There's enough energy right now to handle the present, not all that might come in the future (and has happened in the past).  So CHOOSE to stay in the present....

Breathe....