Fighting Fear

“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.

Beyond Appearances

“I truly believe that compassion provides the basis of human survival.” ~ The Dalai Lama

I’ve always enjoyed waking up early in the morning. Every day carries a new opportunity to learn something, the chance to develop a new awareness, the gift of growing up a bit more with each spontaneous experience, so as I start a new day I am usually as excited as a child on Christmas Eve.

Yesterday, that unique learning experience took place at the bank, where I saw an older gentleman basically shredding the teller to pieces because of a hold on a check. Having done the same type of work before, I knew why holds are placed on checks, and I also knew that the teller is in no way responsible – the computer prompts the hold and she has no other option but follow it if she wants to properly handle the transaction.

Although the man looked as if he was on the verge of a heart attack, the teller was cool and collected, and if I may say, quite kind. She explained the terms of the hold and offered to direct the gentleman to her supervisor to see if anything could be resolved.

After the transaction was finalized, it was my turn. I smiled at the teller and told her how much I admired her demeanor, to which she replied something I did not expect.

She explained that the gentleman in question was going through a very hard financial time lately – he had been laid off a few months before, and was only making a living with odd jobs he found here and there. This check was probably payment for one of those jobs, and he was angry that he could not cash in what was rightfully his. She knew his indignation was masked frustration, and not a direct attack.

When I walked out of the bank, I wondered how many people I run into every day that are going through a hard time. Could their spouse just have passed away? Could their child be terminally ill? Could they be facing losing their home or something else just as cherished?

Truth is, we don’t know. All we can see is the surface of the water, not what is happening beneath the top layer. Ultimately, happy people do not try to make others miserable, so if someone is lashing out or being difficult, it is likely that they are experiencing a trauma of their own.

In this case, the customer could not pay his bills without cashing in the check; somewhere else a mother could be snapping at her children because, if she can’t account for every moment of their day, she might find herself explaining her behavior to a judge. Another case could be that of someone who recently lost a loved one, and hasn’t come to terms with their pain yet.

Pain is often redirected and expressed in ways which allow us to blow off steam without broadcasting the true reason for the discomfort. But no matter what the individual situation, a gesture of kindness can indeed go a very long way.