Irrational Fears

Kayla Being Kayla

There are few attitudes in this life that are more crippling than that of an attitude of fear. Fear can manifest itself in so many different forms. I've seen fear ruin relationships, hold back success, steal joy, and worst of all, wreck potential fun. Notice I said, "an attitude of fear". There are natural fears that can keep us alive and well. We should be afraid to jump into a tank of hungry crocodiles. This isn't the kind of fear to which I'm referring in this blog. I'm referring to a spirit of fear that keeps us from experiencing and enjoying this brief and precious life to the max.

There's a line in the song, Dust Bowl, written by one of my favorite artists, Joe Bonamassa. In his sultry, bluesy voice, Joe sings; "Don't need a helmet to get me through life." Amen brother Joe! Let me ask you a question. What is more tragic, to suffer some injuries of varying degrees, or to live a very safe life in a secure bubble that is actually void of vibrant and enthusiastic living? We all deal with fears of some kind, and we all manage those fears in different ways. The challenge in this life is to learn to face the fears that are hindering us from reaching our full potential. And, since we are all uniquely made each of us will have to figure out for ourselves the level of risk that we will be comfortable navigating. For some, the fear of heights isn't an issue at all, for others, like myself, it can be terrifying. I had to force myself to better manage my fear of heights so that I could enjoy whitetail deer hunting from a tree stand. I was also shy of public speaking. That didn't sit well with a budding musical career. I had to force myself to face the fear of standing on stage if I was ever going to perform to a live audience. There are also rational fears and irrational fears. Most irrational fears are passed down through generations from parents to their children. If you are a new parent who is reading this article then please take inventory of the irrational fears which have handicapped you during your life and do whatever it takes to break that cycle with your child.

Child On A Leash! 😳

The bottom line is that this is a very wild and dangerous planet, and at the same time, a very magnificent and beautiful planet. Some level of risk will always be involved if you want to experience a vibrant and meaningful life especially if you want to enjoy this magnificent world and all it has to offer. Risk cannot and should not be avoided. Please don't fall for the idea that safety is paramount in life. The idolization of "safety and security" has become a common theme in our culture, but this idea is actually nothing but a trap, a prison for your soul. Those who escape the lie that safety is more important than freedom will discover a real and abundant life. No matter how hard you try to play it safe this life will most certainly offer, pain, joy, sorrow, exuberance, exhilaration, disappointment, success, failure, scrapes, bruises, good health, sickness, strength, love, beauty, good and evil. You cannot escape this list. It's sad to me to see those who travel through this life with the fear of losing something, or someone in the forefront of their mind. They would rather be caged in their safety prison than to live free with the risk of injury. I've literally seen with my own eyes leashes strapped to little children. Yes, leashes like the ones used on dogs, were actually attached to children. Can you imagine!? If that had been me as a child I would have thrown myself to the ground and screeched in agnony like Gollum. When that leash came off, I would have run to the woods and taken my chances with a pack of wolves raising me. Please let your children fall down and scrape their hands and knees. Please let them climb trees and ride skateboards. Please let them fail. Failure is the ultimate teacher. Teach them to manage pain, to embrace discomfort and to shake off failure and try again. Your irrational fears will certainly create a deficient human being if you allow it to creep into the child raising process.

Enough about parenting. So, from where do irrational fears come? What makes you have fearful thoughts? I have some of my own ideas on this topic if anyone would enjoy some porch time with me, but I'd love to hear from all of you in the comment section.

We seem to live in a world where fear mongering is at an all time high. Corporations and advertisers prey on our fears for profit. The news and social media is filled to the brim with fearful information about health, war, alien invasions, crime, sharks, sunburn, killer bees and giant spiders, climate change, etc. Maybe we should just stay in our homes, lock the doors and put on a helmet so we can stay safe and secure. What do yo think? Sounds like a great existence, huh?

Bodhi - Point Break

"It's not a tragedy to die doing what you love." - Bodhi