No Fear

With today being Halloween the thought of the day may be more akin to avoiding negative stories or visions rather than believing what we hear or even see. What may be true for one person doesn’t have to be true for everyone. They’ll no doubt be some grisly figures on the streets of Britain this evening but for my money the feast of All-Hallows would be better celebrated by homely parties and fun rather than grotesque visions frightening old folk. Without wanting to be a killjoy, it could be better for anyone over four foot tall to save their gruesome looks for the disco scene or leave the tradition where it originated back in America. Pumpkin competitions and apple bobbing aside, the likelihood of anyone enjoying the real value of any spiritual related event for its original intention is probably fairly limited now. That seems a shame as the purpose of any celebration is surely intended to promote the occurrence that is being celebrated. Few people these days even know what they are celebrating.

There can be a big fear factor for some in any type of event and yet it is the fear alone that holds so many people back. Last Saturday I attended a talk in the beautiful Yorkshire town of Richmond where the main theme was to live life like a male Gorilla. It’s an animal that lives its whole existence in peaceful contentment, happy in the moment and knowledgeable about its needs and future. Apparently it even knows when death will be upon it and can say its goodbyes to its family before leaving to find a peaceful spot in which to lay down and expire. What a difference it would make for us if we knew when our end was imminent. It could certainly take the fear out of the future to some degree and give us more opportunity to live for the here and now. That is the basis for many teachings as the saying goes the past is history, the future a mystery and today is a gift. Life is not a race but a journey to be savoured every step of the way. So many people lose sight of cherishing, appreciating and being grateful for here and now. Letting what has happened to them in the past affect their thinking about what they want or expect from the future which spoils the very essence of enjoying the current moment.

The young folk of Richmond were partying in fine style at the weekend and with at least two weddings happening whilst we were there we got involved in the thick of the fun. From there we went up to some time with my own family in the lovelyNorthumbria countryside which made for a memorable few days. It was particularly poignant as I introduced the love of my life to my mother and sisters. I think the vote in favour of her sense of fun helped to ease any tension which can easily occur at these occasions. Fear comes in all shapes and guises and all of us can be susceptible to it. When we are in a state of positivity and confidence the decisions we make are far more resourceful than when we feel fear and make decisions based on uncertainty. The actions we take are influenced by the questions and answers we give ourselves. When we live life to the full and enjoy the here and now we are much better placed to make decisions that will enable us to continue to avoid pain. We simply have to evaluate our frame of mind and sense of pleasure before making decisions that can affect our future.

Few of us can be completely devoid of fear and in many ways it can be trivial things that create it. Fear can and does ruin lives and spoils opportunities. Getting over our fears is no easy matter but each time we get a little further out of our comfort zone we accommodate a bit more, that enables us to move forward on a daily progressive track which in turn gives us satisfaction with our lives and helps us follow our true passion. One of yesterday’s events was my publisher’s anniversary party where all the authors were invited to promote themselves to each other and the press. Self-promotion has always been my fear which I need to work on to enable me to write more books. Even though only one has been published I have written several more which I would like to see in print but only when I find the right way to promote them. Writing for my own pleasure is adequate for now but if others can receive pleasure from my enjoyment too then that would make it even more pleasing.

When we are able to please others with what we do we get a greater sense of satisfaction from doing it particularly when we get positive feedback. The encouragement from others alone is often enough for us to overcome our fears as we realise through themthatwe are in fact more capable than we give ourselves credit for.Sometimes the same comment can make us feel different ways. Dependent on our state of mind we might get upset at something when we are in a fearful state that we would laugh at in a confident attitude. Last night I was told that our attitude alters our altitude far quicker than our aptitude. Clever words but very real in every sense. I also learnt that the Eagle gets a choice to live to around seventy or die at about forty if it is able to overcome its own fear and take certain steps to change its life for the future. We’ve all got the ability to live as free as a bird if we overcome our fears. We have the power to change ourselves simply by making the decision to do so. As we hear time and time again there is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Endeavour to overcome fear in every aspect of life.