Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

"Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

Why?

Because fear is an *emotion* that is roused and that fades away... which is as it always has been. Your feelings, beliefs, body, possessions, wealth, friendships, and family, will leave you, but only you - your consciousness, your soul will remain.

After you have faced and handled that which you feared, you will feel a *lot* stronger... the quiet assurance that only facing difficulty bestows. You know that you will survive trouble - because YOU HAVE SURVIVED IT - it is no longer an academic exercise; and if you can survive [unpleasant past reality], then you can survive this [unpleasant present reality].

It's a good feeling, but don't get too full of yourself in the process. You still need other people, you still need to stop, think, and plan, and you still need to remember not to let your fear overwhelm you. It is a process - a journey - not a stopping place.

Well, this is the last part of the Litany Against Fear. I'll write more about this topic as it comes to mind.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

"And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path."

Questions that only you can answer:

In the midst of your fear, after it flowed over, around, and through you, what lesson(s) did it teach you?

What did you learn about yourself (and others) from watching the events as they unfolded?

What were you afraid of before the event? Are you still afraid of it now?

What were the outcomes that worried you and kept you awake at night?

What do you need to do handle/prevent that challenge next time?

It seems like a lot to answer, but the questions are just for you, to answer inside your own head. And answering one question, helps you form the answers to the other questions. My experiences have taught me that once you actually face something that you are afraid of, even if the reality is unpleasant, it is almost never as bad as what you have imagined it to be.

And, even if it *is* as bad as you thought it would be, it isn't as frightening, because there is something about facing what you are afraid of (I'm not sure what) that relieves the fear when you are in the moment.

Debriefing after an event helps you in planning to correct issues that may arise in the future; so that when Murphy comes calling again, you can say, "go away', and close the door!!

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Moving Forward By Babysteps

As I write for this blog, I'm learning and moving forward, babystep by babystep. Whenever I'm tempted to feel pride in my progress, something always happens to show me just how far I have to go. It's very humbling. So, I do my best to do what I tell my children to do: If someone does something that you don't like, learn a lesson from it, and make sure that you do not do it to others.

One other thing...
When I write for this blog, I am clarifying what I think about such things myself. A lot of times, I find that I hold a strong opinion on a subject, and it just feels like the right and logical thing to do; but from the outside looking in, the opinion doesn't look right and logical, unless I explain my thinking. This blog is my attempt to do that. If I'm not clear, or if I'm not making sense, let me know. Who knows, you may even change my mind (don't laugh, it happens)!
©2007 LaVeda H. Mason All Rights Reserved.

Moving Forward By Babysteps