Ever feel like you’re living in fear? Read the blog below to make it your top priority to let it go and discover how to empower yourself
Being a dog owner, I was watching one of those reality TV programmes on dog training the other day. This dog trainer was focusing on particularly unruly and dangerous dog behaviour. The story followed three bulldogs who had caused their household to descend into chaos. It turned out that the source of the hostility was the dog suffering from fear and insecurity. To protect himself, he had turned aggressive, choosing to attack first as an act of self-preservation. More defensive, less offensive. The other younger dogs had then learned this behaviour from him, thinking “oh right, this is the way to be”.
This is interesting because we see the same in humans of course. We call them bullies. They can be found in the playground when we’re growing up and in the workplace when we’re adults. They lead countries! They seem powerful but act aggressively because they don’t feel powerful enough or at all, and therefore want to stop you from empowering yourself.
So why must we let go of fear?
- It blocks creativity – you can’t set your mind free and let creative juices flow if you’re distracted with channeling hostility.
- It gets in the way of reaching your potential – fear fans the flames of self-doubt and low self-esteem.
- It’s simply a really unhappy place! No love, trust or joy can flourish where there is fear, and it will get in the way of all your relationships.
The ancient yogic scriptures give us more insight and some advice. They tell us that bhaya (sanskrit for fear) arises from separateness – a feeling that you in your physical bodily form are a single, separate entity and therefore disconnected from anything. But if you wake up and realise that your real inner self is connected to a greater Self that all sentient beings share, then we can relax. The universe has your back!
There are only two things that inspire fear. The first is that you are not aware of the divine place of fearlessness inside you. The other is that you are not aware of God’s help.
Swami Baba Muktananda, in My Lord Loves a Pure Heart
I shared this quote with fellow yogi David Rogers (@averyenglishyogi) in my recent MatChat with Mina podcast called Liberating ourselves from fear for a happier world. In the wake of disturbing news headlines focusing on violence by men towards women in particular, we discuss how fear is the driving force behind this unacceptable behaviour. We conclude that ultimately it’s about bringing and keeping ourselves in balance, on all levels. Because there is no need to attack others – verbally, emotionally or physically – when you’re grounded in a place of peace and calm.
So, if you feel you’re in that insecure and scary place of hanging out there on your own, always worrying about what may or may not happen and feeling anxious, then make it your top priority to discover how to empower yourself. I know how hard letting go of fear and empowering yourself can be and have shared what I’ve learnt through my life experiences. Check out my webpage about my book Not for the last time, an uplifting true story about working through loss, healing and ultimately self-discovery.
Namaste Mina