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The only way out is through.... |
| April, 2006 |
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Some people think it’s cowardly to be afraid, but the bravest amongst us are intimate with fear or anxiety. Those who repeatedly perform on the stage or in the sports arena are likely to be very familiar with those feelings, the surgeon and solider as well. Meanwhile most of us try to avoid them. The question is, what is the connection between an intimacy with fear and the strength we need to live life undaunted by it?
The answer begins with the word “fear.” If it is used as a verb one might say I fear my supervisor or I fear being mugged. That draws attention to the object of fear or anxiety – the supervisor or the mugger – and is likely to increase fear. If, instead, “fear” is used as a noun it becomes an experience that draws a person inward and makes it possible to use the skillful means that mediation offers.
Fear or anxiety is made up of thoughts in the mind and body sensations. When unattended they can build on each other and multiply our fear exponentially. When attended to with mindfulness and equanimity frightening thoughts and body sensations hold still long enough to be explored precisely. That’s when it’s possible to understand the nature of fear. Then, in one miraculous moment, you might find yourself gently opening up to fear as it arises, manifests in its fullness, and slowly fades away. In so doing you are intimate with and, at the same time, undaunted by fear.
