I just read “The Fear Cure” by Lissa Rankin. It is a decent book on the topic of addressing fear in your own life and cultivating courage in the face of those fears. There is so much fear in our culture; just turn on the news for a moment or read the headlines in your daily paper- the economy is down and heading into a recession, the destructive path of the wild fires burning across Canada are threatening homes and people’s lives, volcanoes are erupting, more people are being diagnosed with cancer, our homeland security is being threatened, and on and on and on. The media thrives on fear and takes a rather fear based stance on many issues. Certainly I have felt a lot of fear in my own life and feel the weight of old beliefs surface from time to time that have been based in fear based programming and family upbringing to some degree. I discuss these issues in my book “Living in Alignment-Embracing Illness as a Catalyst for Transformation” if the things I touch on resonate with you on reading this blog or please purchase Lissa’s book for more courage cultivating exercises to assist you in dealing with fear in your life.
Right now, we are being called to live authentically, to find a way to align mind/body/spirit in a way that is congruent for our personal selves. When fear and overwhelm show up for me, I always look for limiting beliefs that I carry within me and what could be blocking my evolution on a soul level? How can I challenge those fear based beliefs and move forward on my path? In her book, Lissa talks about four fear based assumptions and I think she is right on the mark- I definitely resonate with some of them and I expect you would too. A belief that the world is a dangerous place which is one that I have definitely felt to some degree which is actively supported by the media’s stance on reporting the news as mentioned. If you don’t sense that there is a larger force protecting you from harm then fear can run rampant. Not too long ago, my car was totaled in an accident- it shocked and scared me to my core. But I also felt a sense of calmness come over me knowing that I was in fact looked after; I was not hurt at all but my car was a write off.I often look for the meaning in events and that is where your attention to your soul can be a guiding force. I sensed this accident was meant to get my attention and look at my life with a microscope to see what is feeling congruent and what is not and I am actively on a path of self alignment as a result.
I read somewhere in a Pathwork lecture online (which I find to be incredibly helpful if you are on a spiritual path and are looking for guidance) that fear automatically comes from desires of the self will. That if the self will desires something really strongly and those desires are contradictory to other currents within you; that you have a deeper being within you that knows what is right for you, then fear will show up. This is the most helpful truth for me. The self will or my own personal desires to self gratification can be strong-it is much easier to do things that feel good and sometimes choosing the path that brings me further in my evolution feels too challenging for me. I can feel scared. In a limiting way, I can claim I am weary from my soul path-it feels overwhelming when I am not tapped into the vital energy of consciousness or God self of my being. When I am feeling more connected to my soul energy, I am more open to taking risks and challenging my fears.
Cultivating courage to make changes first requires that you get in touch with your soul. If you are feeling fearful you need to go “deeper”; perhaps to a well of life giving water metaphorically, something that represents a reservoir of faith and trust for you… It is a necessity to nurture and develop a soul connection in your life. Being connected to your soul helps you make better decisions and helps you release fear as you begin to trust in a higher power that wants to guide you in your life. It does not have to be a religious based orientation or it can be if that feels right to you. I recently started attending a church based singles group because I was seeking out some support that felt right for me. If you listen to your intuition about what support you need, it will come forward for you in your life. If you have negative views on religion and like to talk about guidance from angels or the universe, it does not matter, there is always support from the spiritual realms no matter what you label it as. Make sure you make the time to do the things that help you get in touch with your soul- for me meditation, yoga, walking, being in nature, music, and reading spiritual books are practices I need to do on an ongoing basis.
I accept that fear and worry show up pretty much on a daily basis for me but aligning with the God presence within me or my soul essence trumps any fear that tries to blanket and oppress my existence. Realize that you matter, that there is a purpose for your life, that you can let the light shine through your eyes to bless other people, that you have much wisdom to impart and above all, that you are loved. A useful exercise for you to do in the meantime: take a microscope to all your beliefs about life and ask yourself if they are health promoting or fear promoting and if they are in fact limiting your joy and happiness. This is an ongoing process- please book an appointment with me to discuss these things if this is new information for you. Until next time, be well. I will write more about this journey in ongoing blogs.
References: Lissa Rankin The Fear Cure, Pathwork lectures Eva Pierrakos, Robin Vinge Living in Alignment-Embracing Illness as a Catalyst for Transformation