How to shatter the chains of fear

Cover photo: Aida L. on Unsplash

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A wise person is beyond fear and, as a result, is truly free.

As long as you fear, you are a prisoner; of being abandoned, robbed, killed, homeless, penniless, alone. You are driven by fear.

How can you clean up your mind from fear once and for all? Through understanding. Fear thrives on ignorance.

If you get into the forest, your brain conjures up a wild animal amongst the trees and, for that, you see everything through that fear. Fear will project the image of a creature lurking in every shadow, into the cracking of every twig.

Fear consumes the mind and distorts reality, resulting in psychological changes.

People believe that fear keeps the enemies at bay. If you paint a picture of a beast in the woods, you are more careful, keeping you safe.

But fear doesn’t protect you. Understanding wild animals exist and live in the woodlands, the danger they represent and how to deal with them is what really protects you, not fear. Fear hinders learning and growing.

Fear leads to obsession. If indeed you’re scared about a person following you, every car behind you is likely a threat. 

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Where does fear come from?

Fear stems from thoughts. For example, the idea of being attacked by a wild animal in the forest, losing money or a loved one, the mental picture of someone crashing your car.

It comes from anticipating future pain. Logical argument as you don’t want to end up in the jaws of a violent beast or crashed by a drunk driver on the streets.

Thoughts arise from desire. The desire to protect yourself from a physical, emotional, or psychological wound. In order to avoid suffering, your mind examines all the ways your security might be endangered.

You are only afraid of things you know and imagine. If you are far from a volcano, you won’t be scared of an eruption – no image of lava flowing towards your house. In a building, you will not be worried about a tiger entering your flat, but of a thief breaking into and stealing your possessions.

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Not everything is under your control

To eradicate fear, you must understand that not everything is under your control. Someone could infect you with a virus, making you sick. It is out of your hands.

Next to that, you cannot always be away from suffering. You can try to prevent particular events from happening as much as possible, but there’s still the chance to be affected.

Above all, suffering is a natural part of life. Accordingly, you cannot live in constant fear. The pain you get is necessary to grow, learn, to develop a thick skin, so to speak.

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Does affliction frighten you?

If you are willing to receive bitterness from life, the distress that would make you endure and weather the storm, you release yourself from fear.

Fear can vanish from sight after you accept certain situations to happen, and that many others are beyond your control.

Living in a persistent fear while seeking to prevent adverse events doesn’t eliminate the possibility of hard times ahead. Of course, this is not to say you should stop protecting yourself, just that despite your haven, some situations could still bring about pain and suffering.

However, if you continue living in fear, anything or anyone with a sword can control you. Such a sword could be love, food, money, anything. 

You are free and weightless when fear wanes. And it goes by accepting pain.

An empowered mind is the one without fear, and by breaking the chains, you are ready to do whatever you want. Namely, have the life you dream of.

Fear is not real. It only exists in your thoughts about the future. Even if the danger you are afraid of might be real, being afraid, is a choice. 

Train your mind to overcome fear. This is the real significance of a fearless life.

“Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realise that right now we are okay. Right now, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvellously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.” Thich Nhat Hanh