The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the source of all of our problems and I realize it comes down to fear. We’ve become so apathetic to one another because of fear of being hurt. Fear that if we help others then it will be at our own expense. Fear that if we love someone then we make an opening for them to stab our heart. Fear of letting go of that job you hate because you will have to start over temporarily. Fear that if we stand for what’s right then we’ll be ostracized. Fear that if we give opportunity to someone then they will take it away from us. Fear takes many forms and can poison nearly every thought or aspect of our life.

I think the most important thing for us as a society is to work on these deeply ingrained fears on a person level. The opposite of fear is love so consciously choosing that emotion is one place to start. But I really challenge everyone to look into their fears. Dig them out of the mud and look them in the eye. Shine a light on them. You will find that your fears are usually just a veil of illusion you’re putting over yourself. 

I’ve made choices the past few years to do things I would never normally do. I felt so uncomfortable at first but found that fear was actually an imaginary wall I was placing over myself. I was actually keeping myself from growing. Making the choice to travel to remote locations alone was a bit frightening at first. Until I realized that everything would workout and whenever there was an issue I could easily resolve it. Imagine not being able to see the jungles or mountains of the world because of fear. To not strike up endless conversations with foreigners and make friends across the world because of fear. To not travel to a distant city and attend an event filled with strangers all by yourself because of fear. To not explore the wonders of the world because of fear of being alone, or a boat sinking, or a plane crashing, or whatever endless number of lies the mind throws at you. Fear is what keeps you from growing and moving forward with your life. 

As Franklin Roosevelt put it so simply, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 

Wishing you the courage to do the things you fear,
Eros