WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR IS A PLACE WITHIN YOU
I am often asked, “How are you so fearless? Nothing affects you…Do you not fear what is happening to the world… the pandemic…the uncertainty?”
This leads me to think, how beautiful it would be to lead a life without fear, for which it is important to understand what is fear and why does it wreak havoc on our mental health, and is it for real? The first step to breaking the clutter of noise around you is to operate from a position of awareness. I call it a higher life condition.
Fear is a strategy of the mind. It’s when imagination has gone wrong. It’s a concoction of the future. Fear is the darkness that feeds on an assumption, negative energy, and affinity to power.
If we were to live life each day and tell ourselves today whatever I do, I will give it my best. Today I will take each task, observe, understand, and then act on it. It's not about completing a checklist or winning a deal to feel a sense of accomplishment. My sense of accomplishment will come from being the best version of me with everyone I interact with and with everything I do. I am here to create good causes. That is my goal. If we were to approach each day with this thought, do you think fear will have a place to fit in?
I control only one thing in the universe and that is me. What does ‘me’ constitute of? It means my response, my action, and my thought. Thought, word, and action that is what defines my territory, everything outside of that is something which I have no control of. If the emergence of thought is from a place of composure and security, my words will be different and consequently my action. It’s a chain reaction. An understanding of what I control can be calming. It also can give you greater power over yourself. How do you control thoughts?
You decide how much of what is necessary and how much will leave you a bit tizzy. For instance, how much of world news about COVID is necessary for awareness and how much will spark a negative reaction in the brain. There are people out there who are jobless, there are families in quarantine, there is a large workforce living away from families. Sometimes it’s natural for us to sit with these thoughts and let them affect us. At that point in time it’s important to ask, what is in my control is what I do with the information I have. Can I refer the person to someone? Can I pass on an opportunity I know of? What action can I take? Can, I just call a few people I know who are living by themselves to just check in on them? It’s amazing to see how therapeutic this act can be. Take back your power and do what you can at that moment by being the best version of you, thereby dispelling the impact of the environment on you. Will fear be able to feed on any negative energy then?
Last but not least is the act of surrender. It’s not giving up, it’s giving in. Giving in to acceptance, gratefulness, and reveling in uncertainty. Acceptance of the universe and acknowledging the presence of a force that is not in your control. Understanding that you are a part of the universe and you are there to do your bit. You need to stay safe, do the work, and take care of yourself first. Gratitude for all that you have not because of the pandemic but because you are blessed and protected. Embracing the uncertainty because everything in life doesn’t go as per plan, we own nothing and no one. Worrying about something which we don’t control serves no purpose. Our peace is our choice and is in our hands. You will surrender only when you know what is in your control and what is not, when you define your boundaries, when you are secure and comfortable in your skin. How will fear then take its energy from its affinity to power?
So, to the person who asked me that question about being fearless, I told him… the future is uncertain for all of us… I could be the best at my work and be paranoid about hygiene, yet I haven’t seen tomorrow but I know my today well…Hence I to dispel fear by:
Living each moment with joy,
Giving each day with love,
Working each day with passion,
Standing by what I feel is right.
Knowing that today is like the grains of sand in my hand I hold
Tomorrow is something I do not control
