Guided by fear.
“You act like mortals in all that you fear, and immortals in all that you desire.” — Daniel Goleman
This world is governed by being right. If you don’t agree with one another, we simply call it an argument. We spend countless of time trying to prove each other wrong. We spend countless of time being self-absorbed and unwilling to see the other side. It is so much easier to just allow the world to shape us. It is so much easier to let our fears guide us. One can only imagine what the future will bring, yet we strive to be certain. Our obsession with being certain is the main source of our fear. We fear to lose control. We seek power to gain certainty. Is there a way to not choose sides? Is there a way to just be? Not judging, not wanting a different world? Does one need to be right to survive? Do we have to win to succeed? These questions feel heavy. One can only hope. One can only wish. One can only dream.
“Seek first to understand then to be understood.” — Stephen R. Covey
We habitually forget how susceptible we are to fear. It is, like love, the most visceral of human tendencies. Why do we fear so much?
There are many reasons why we as humans have become so fearful. Here’s a few.
1. We have the capacity to consciously monitor our thoughts and emotions; however, we fail to do anything about what we observe. Rather than using what we have learned about ourselves, we often allow our environment to control our responses to them. One must admit that remaining present is a very challenging endeavor. Despite this, one must always try. What else can we do?
2. When we place ourselves in one corner opposing another, we step outside the realm of spirituality. It is in opposition to an idea that we find ourselves separated from everything within and without. Why do we yearn to be right?
3. Our capacity to be self-important and narcissistic is immense. Feeling more accomplished or more important than the next person is a path towards loneliness. One must be willing to always ask the question, ‘What if I am wrong?’. How do we remain humble?
4. We fear the future, and the past because we mentally transport ourselves somewhere else. Leaving an empty, unconscious body. We try to ask ourselves the question, ‘What if….?’ The problem with asking this question is a contextual one. This question is only helpful in a context of physical survival. When this question is applied outside this, it becomes a never-ending cycle. When we open ourselves up to speculative thinking we throw ourselves into losing our ability to be conscious. This question is the gateway toward unconsciousness. What if we loved unconditionally?
5. One must be very mindful of the dualistic tendencies of our current nature and societal norms. Judgement of what is right and wrong has corrupted our ability for empathy. We distrust what we do not understand and embrace the familiar. The problem then becomes a never-ending loop of identity obsession. We become slave to our need to be comfortable. Thus, leaving us vulnerable to our deepest fears. Why must we judge?
6. Words are symbols. They only represent an idea or object. Therefore, one would do well to avoid attaching oneself to words that seems to answer the questions of our being. The truth is an ever moving, ever changing thing. Everything can only point to it. Nothing can be the truth. What do you see when you think about the word God?
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” — Yoda