Fear. It stops us in our tracks. It’s a right-there-in-your-face encounter with something primal, deep, and unknown. We want to turn around and run in the other direction, cutting ourselves off from the possibility that what we fear might actually turn into something positive. We fear letting go, vulnerability, pain. We might end up feeling lonely, disconnected. As spiritual beings, we need meaningful connections, but we resist, because of fear.
It’s like a circle – you experience something deeply painful, and this creates fear and avoidance of similar situations in the future. If your heart was broken; you don’t allow yourself to fall in love again. If someone broke your trust; you may find it very difficult to trust in others. You never really face your pain – you avoid it and bury it, where it continues to fester and you keep going round and round, repeating toxic patterns.
Even the most enlightened person faces these moments. It takes courage to admit that you are fearful AND then take action to conquer the fear. We are told to be strong and that fears are a weakness and we must push them aside. But all that does is hide them in the shadows where they continue to haunt us and dictate our lives. Without realizing it, you make choices and venture down paths that avoid pain, only to find one day that you are living an illusion of happiness. You feel unhappiness at a deep soul level, the feeling that something is missing; a life asleep.
What if you took another path instead? What if you chose a path of love?
Love does really conquer all, most importantly, self-love. You must love yourself before you can truly be spiritually balanced and aligned in your life, before you can love others deeply and be loved in return. The road to self-love begins with facing your fears and healing the pain.
Have the COURAGE to face your fears, your shadow side. Sometimes it’s not as hard as you think. But if you need support and guidance, find a mentor, a healer. It’s much easier to face your fears when someone is holding your hand and guiding you down the dark parts of the road.
Be open to honest REFLECTION. Write! Reflective journaling is cathartic, as well as a way to make sense of your confusion. As you eventually reflect back on your writing, you begin to connect the emotional dots of the past, present, and future.
Fully ACCEPT yourself, including those “imperfections.” There is no such thing as perfection. We are all perfectly imperfect. Accept ALL of yourself.
Work to HEAL your pain through conventional therapy or spiritual therapy. Spiritual therapy can involve intuitive healing and guidance, reflective journaling, or mindful practices.
Connecting with a spiritual coach to guide you through the process can completely change the way you deal with fear. Are you ready to take the step toward healing?