The Bondage of Fear

A fear of flying, fear of failure, fear of death, fear of a bully, fear of losing everything are just a few of the fears humans struggle with on a daily basis and during their lifetime.  Some fears obviously are rational and some are irrational. It seems as though it does not take much to set some on the rollercoaster of fear and anxiety.

I was speaking with a friend of mine who made what he believed to be a huge mistake at work that would cost him his job.  The mistake he made was small in the overall scheme of things, but for some reason he thought it was the unpardonable sin.  He began to work up in his mind so many different scenarios on what would happen to him as a result of the mistake.  The fear he worked up in his mind was like an empty dark room that he began to fill with monsters.

I used to have an intense fear of flying.  I allowed that fear to prevent me from seizing the opportunity to travel the world during my youth.  While working at Owens Corning I was expected to fly back and forth to corporate headquarters in Ohio and other locations throughout the country.   There was no way out; I had to fly.  One day I said to myself, “I will not let this fear control me.”  I knew that my fear was irrational and that I needed to take control of my thoughts and emotions and get on the plane.  That decision resulted in my being able to see many parts of the country that I would not have experienced had I not overcome my fear.    Truth be told, I still get a little nervous, but not enough to keep me from taking off into the wild blue yonder.

Are you struggling with fear?  Don’t be a slave to it.  When I experience fear, I focus my mind on:

• Acknowledging my fear and I face it head on
• I take control of the fear, I don’t let it control me
• I stay positive

I don’t mean to minimize the impact fear can have on a person with the simple ways I deal with fear, but I choose not to give in to my fears.  I want to live a life of freedom and not in the bondage of fear.

How about you?