Facing F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real.

We all have fears that we face every day. "What if ____ (fill in the blank) happens. What will I do?" OR "I couldn't do THAT. what would people think?"

We wrap fears up in many packages, but one thing is for sure -- fear can keep you stuck!

In a book I'm reading called The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill (author of Think and Grow Rich), he outlines six basic fears:

* Fear of poverty
* Fear of old age
* Fear of criticism
* Fear of loss of love of someone
* Fear of ill health
* Fear of death

He states that most other fears can be put into these categories. Can you relate to some of these?

Fear is excessive worrying about the future and coming up with all kinds of scenarios about what might happen. This is where staying in the present is so important. If we stay in the NOW, we can handle just about anything. But I will admit. I can easily get side-tracked with what happened (in the past) and what might happen (in the future). I repeat my mantra: "Stay present. Stay in the now."

As I was reading my daily email from DailyOM, it reminded me of the importance of feeling fear and the beauty of stepping through it. I thought you might enjoy it:

Fear has a way of throwing us off balance, making us feel uncertain and insecure, but it is not meant to discourage us. Its purpose is to notify us that we are at the edge of our comfort zone, poised in between the old life and a new one. Whenever we face our fear, we overcome an inner obstacle and move into new and life-enhancing territory, both inside and out.

The more we learn to respect and even welcome fear, the more we will be able to hear its wisdom, wisdom that will let us know that the time has come to move forward, or not. While comfort with fear is a contradiction in terms, we can learn to honor our fear, recognizing its arrival, listening to its intelligence, and respecting it as a harbinger of transformation. Indeed, it informs us that the change we are contemplating is significant, enabling us to approach it with the proper reverence.

I have pulled The Star card, which comes right after The Tower card. The Tower is a card that signifies the collapse of a structure, which could bring on fear. And the Star card (the very next Major Arcana tarot card) is a card of hope and optimism. In the midst of transition, you are gathering your resources, learning more about yourself and your situation and moving forward.

As my sister used to say to me during a particularly tough emotional time:

The sun will rise tomorrow.

And it always did...and continues to do so...every day.

May you face your F.E.A.R. and find your hope.