“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” ~ Frank Herbert
Yesterday morning JBA posted one of my favorite passages from the Bible, one which I believe truly applies to the shaky times we are experiencing on a global level.
"Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from the land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. Jesus came toward them walking on water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified. In their fear they cried out, ‘It’s a ghost!’ But Jesus spoke to them at once: ‘Don’t be afraid’ he said, ‘Take courage. I am here.’ Then Peter called to him: ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on water.’ So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said, ‘why did you doubt me?’ “
Being earthly animals, land represents for us a solid ground to stand on, a foundation built through time with the cement of learned responses. Whenever something we perceive as catastrophic happens, we feel lost and at the mercy of the elements, heading off toward the unknown.
As Wayne Dyer so eloquently distinguished, we should remember we are spiritual beings on an earthly experience and not earthly beings on a spiritual quest; regardless of what happens around us, our connection remains intact and our true self remains untouched by external forces. If we start in the right direction, but shift our focus while the storm rages around us, we lose sight of what’s true and become blinded by the illusion fed by the ego. The ego only recognizes responses from the earthly body and its two main functions are doubt and fear. In small doses, doubt and fear allow us to maintain a balance – if the body perishes, the soul connected to the mind of the Creator cannot continue its stay on earth, and the recording of its experiences is cut short.
Many of our fears and doubts are not, however, connected to anything which is life-threatening. On the contrary, most of the trials which trigger the two powerful emotions are often paths that lead us toward higher inner discoveries and a deeper connection. Losing employment can appear catastrophic to a family who has learned through time to be self-sufficient, but it might be the only mean for that family to learn certain lessons such as humility, compassion, and re-connection to estranged family members and friends. Going through the break-up of a relationship is painful, but one might need to learn how to believe in oneself and tap into the inner source of unconditional love once all external feeds have dried.
Faith that all will be well and perfectly aligned with a divine design is key to pushing fears out of the door. Trials can pop up as unexpected and as intense as a powerful summer storm – our response will dictate how long and damaging the storm will be.
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