F.E.A.R.

I’ve often heard people use the acronym F.E.A.R. as meaning False Evidence Appearing Real. It was from Mark Victor Hansen that I first heard this. It is quite true. When you feel fear, it is very easy to allow yourself to see something that is totally false as being real.


The problem with this is that you forget everything about reality when you feel fear. There’s another acronym for you. What does fear cause you to do?

Forget Everything About Reality.

The reality is you can survive and even thrive in most situations you encounter in life. When you feel fear, however, surviving becomes a challenge and thriving tends to go out the window.


Now I’m sure you are well aware of this, and so there is no need to drive this point home. You are likely looking for a way to get past this thing we call fear. I know I need to overcome my fears, but how? This is the all-important question. And I hope I am able to give you the coveted answer in this brief space.


The truth is you don’t have to eliminate your fears. In fact, trying to eliminate your fears may be an exercise in futility. If you wish to accomplish any worthy goal, you will almost undoubtedly experience fear. The only reason I say “almost” is because I imagine anything is possible, including eliminating all fear. However, I have no experience of going after something big without experiencing at least some fear.


I don’t think you really need to concern yourself with this so much. You definitely don’t want to make it your primary focus. What you focus on will only increase in intensity. So, what to do?


The first step is to understand what exactly fear is. What is its purpose? Fear itself is not a bad thing. Like most everything about us, it makes an excellent tool, but can really cause us havoc when we do not exercise control over it.


There are two fears you were born with, the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear you now have was developed over the years while you were growing up. Public speaking is probably the most common of all learned fears. Either because we were ridiculed or we witnessed someone else being ridiculed while young. We develop fears because we want to avoid possibly painful scenarios.


Whatever fear you have relative to reaching your goals, you need to take some time and get away from all distractions to clearly meditate on what exactly you are afraid of. If you are afraid of doing something, consider what the worst possible consequences of doing this thing are. Imagine for a moment the worst happened, and think, would this really be that bad? Be honest with yourself.


If the worst outcome were to manifest, would you end up dead, hospitalized, or incarcerated? If not, you have no real good reason not to make the attempt. Is there a chance you will go broke, or worse deeply in debt? You might want to consider how great the risks are in this case. The overwhelming majority of fears that stop people are no where near as serious as the above described risks.


You will likely find that even in the case the worst happens, it really would cause nothing more than an uncomfortable situation. Compared to what you might gain, you may decide with a clear head that you ought to go ahead with your idea. Remember, even the most successful people have fears relative to the achievement of their dreams. The difference then is that they do not allow their fears to take the driver’s seat when making decisions.


There is a great difference between simply feeling fear, but plugging ahead, and allowing it to control you to the point you stop yourself from pursuing your dreams. Controlled fear can heighten your senses. It can bring into focus your awareness, so long as you do not allow it to take over.


Don’t be afraid of fear. If you feel it, recognize it. Accept it. And then look it over in your mind. Meditate on it to discover if it really is telling you something you need to pay heed to, or if it is only a sign of letting your conditioned mind get the best of you. Remember, the overwhelming majority of fears you experience are totally unfounded in fact. They are only conditioned reflexes that don’t necessarily serve your greater good.


You will only know the difference if you look your fear straight in the eye and meditate on it with a clear mind. Take the time you need to do this properly. Most people never get clear to begin with before looking at their fears. They simply allow their imagination to play and replay some terrible scenario without any base in their reality. You need to step back and look from a safe place.


Only after you have done this, will you be better prepared to make a wise decision about going ahead with your idea or not. Even if you decide it is best not to go ahead as your original idea, you will now be better prepared to look for viable alternatives. Do this now.



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self.








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