FREEDOM from FEAR by Kenny Toh,
March
2007
As an avid student of LIFE, I have always had an interest in the pursuit for
FREEDOM. After all, don’t we all wish to be free, to be able to do the things we
love, to pursue our passion, to express ourselves, to realize our dreams, to
actualize our potentials, to be who we are, and to be who we can be? I got
really curious about what is exactly stopping most people from enjoying the
freedom that they long to have, the freedom which they rightfully deserve.
It has often been said that the difference that separates those who successfully
create the results they want and those who fail, lies in the ACTIONS they take
or did not take. Simply put, the right actions lead to the right results, and no
action means no results. After many years of investigation and personal
experimentation, I arrived at a conclusion that the greatest barrier to action
that keeps most people from expressing themselves freely is none other than
FEAR.
The fear of failure prevents many from even trying; the fear of embarrassment
makes public speaking the most dreaded thing in many people’s lives; the fear of
rejection produces poor sales performance; the fear being hurt again shut many
away from the possibility of enjoying a loving relationship; the fear of the
unknown incarcerates many within the boundaries of their comfort zones,
depriving them of unlimited growth opportunities that await them out there; the
fear of being wrong or appearing stupid prevents people from speaking up and
sharing their opinion; the fear of confronting oneself honestly keeps the joy of
authenticity away; the fear of being great condemns some to a lifetime of
mediocrity, etc,.
“Your playing small doesn't
serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do
... As we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people the
permission to do the same. As we're LIBERATED FROM OUR OWN FEAR, our presence
automatically liberates others. ”
~ Nelson Mandela & Marianne
Williamson
These words, “As we’re
liberated by our own FEAR, our presence automatically liberates others,”
rings repeatedly in my head whenever I find myself confronted by my fears. The
goal is not to live one’s life fearlessly, as fear is a legitimate emotion that
is experienced by any normal human being. Instead, I took that as reminder to
always choose freedom from fear over being held as its prisoner. The choice is
made easier through a deeper understanding of the nature and mechanics of fear.
Fear is the most primitive of emotions, a biological instinct for survival. It
is housed in the limbic system, specifically the amygdala, the part of the brain
relates to our most basic survival mechanisms. Given that fear is so primitive
and about survival, it is completely illogical. Since it is beyond logic or
reason, it is futile to attempt to figure out ‘why we fear’, and instead, more
beneficial to examine ‘what we fear’ and ‘what can we do about it’.
Fear has two primary functions in our lives. One is to ensure that we are
physically alive, and the other is to preserve our self-image (some call it
EGO). Unfortunately, the latter (i.e. fear of failure, embarrassment, etc,.) may
often keep us from being fully alive and living the life of our dreams.
Fear has no inherent power; it is not a force from the ‘dark side’. It is simply
a normal phenomenon triggered by an event that is experienced by anyone with a
brain that is functioning normally. Fear dominates many people’s lives not
because of its power, but the choices that people make in response or reaction
to their fears. Hence, FREEDOM from FEAR is possible when we learn to exercise
our choices in the presence of fear, and to harness this powerful emotion so as
to act productively towards creating our desired outcome.
The process begins with awareness. What you are unaware of controls you. If you
are unaware of your fears, they will indefinitely run your life. Being aware of
your deepest fears allows you to examine them openly, and explore their origins
and intentions. Often, our fears are rooted in our beliefs, and our beliefs may
not always reflect the truth accurately. As we uncover the underlying beliefs,
new possibilities may open up, enabling us to get a better handle of our fears
and make conscious choices to respond to them more appropriately.
Best fishes,
Kenny, the Fisher