Let not your fears corrode you!
“A ship in the harbour is safe,” goes the saying. But that is not what ships are built for! Absolute security and freedom from stress and anxiety are unreal conditions
Psychiatrists, pastors, counsellors and spiritual elders confirm that the general level of fear among people is on the increase. It seems to extend across all walks of life and to all kinds of people. Children are beginning to dread school exams; young graduates develop cold feet before they face an interview; mothers worry about their offspring; young couples agonise over their savings and their budgets; old people are terrified by insecurity and loneliness; high flying executives at the peak of their professional careers give in to stress and tension over fears of rivalry and competition.
Drop a little quantity of potassium permanganate into a large container of water. You will see the water turns pink almost instantly! Even so quickly fear does spread through one’s life and persona.
The United States of America is one of the most buoyant, high-spirited, optimistic nations of the world. The Americans love life, with all its challenges and its rewards. They live life on the fast track. They work hard and they play hard too! But we saw how fear psychosis gripped this spirited, energetic nation after the terrible day we now call 9/11!
That was, of course, an extraordinary event the kind of event that does not happen every other day, praise be to God! But life is full of situations that seem to trigger off fear.
People are anxious when the budget is presented in parliament. People worry when OPEC countries raise oil prices. People are afraid when foreigners come to live in their locality. People worry when share prices fall. Anything and everything triggers fear these days!
Let us admit fear is natural to human beings in many situations. It teaches us to be cautious; it fosters our sense of self-preservation. It helps us create safeguards for ourselves. It is what keeps us safe and secure.
Fear is natural to human beings in many situations
Fear is not only present in us it seems to exist in the very fabric of our institutions. Fear exists within the family we are either afraid of some of our close relatives or we fear for their safety and well-being. Fear exists in the workplace the executive who is called to meet the big boss is often scared to death. Fear exists in our schools and colleges the student who has not done his homework is frightened of the teacher, afraid of punishment. You can almost smell the fear in hospitals patients are afraid of their own constitutions and the unknown, unforeseen health complications they may fall prey to. Alas, children are afraid of parents and worse, some parents are actually afraid of their children!
The ‘logic’ of fear is truly illogical. We are afraid of losing our jobs but we are afraid to go out and seek new positions. I know some people who are terrified of contracting a major illness but they are even more scared to meet a specialist and go through a series of tests. Some young women are afraid of marriage, as they feel that they would lose their identity but the idea of remaining single makes them feel insecure! There are very many old people who are terrified of the years that lie ahead of them but they are haunted by the fear of death!
As I said, we are afraid to die and we are afraid to live because life has become so complicated, risky and insecure!
“A ship in the harbour is safe,” goes the saying. But that is not what ships are built for! Absolute security and freedom from stress and anxiety are unreal conditions.
Life is full of uncertainties, the unknown and the unknowable. Experts recommend that we develop what they call, ‘high tolerance for uncertainty’ if we are to live in peace, even while being aware that so much in our lives is outside our control. Losing control, living with uncertainty generates fear and this fear can be conquered by the right attitude by love, kindness, faith and compassion.
Courage is the key! To live a full life, to live according to God’s plan, to live life purposefully and meaningfully, requires courage. Life demands of us that we live with courage. Without the courage to act, justice would be impossible. Without the courage to love, compassion and understanding would not exist. Without the courage to endure, faith and hope would not flourish!
Where the mind is without fear… that is where the land of freedom lies. For fear and freedom cancel out each other. If you are afraid, you cannot be free. And courage can liberate you from the clutches of fear.