I read a similar question a few weeks ago in Jodi Chapman’s Blog, Soul Speak…. I was quite stunned by the question and even more intrigued by my reaction of how wonderful such a thing might be….a gigantic WOW! to that idea!!!!
We all have fears in our lives…some people have more, and some people have fewer….no matter what fears, worries or concerns each of us might have, our lives and the lives of those around us would be happier and filled with more richness if we could become less fearful…
Fear depends on us stepping out of the present moment and the using our imagination…negative imagination…Imagination can be a wonderful quality, but only if reigned in, managed and channeled in a positive manner…to use it for the good, rather than to scare ourselves…
Here’s one way I try to look at some of my worries and fears….
And so…some strategies I try to use and find helpful to reason my way through concerns…
Some strategies I find really useful to help soothe or decrease my reaction to the worries or fears, in the midst of reacting…
And so to pause, take a few moments, to reflect, imagine and think through some of these ideas…. and then spend some time imagining the positives…. and use that wonderful, positive imagination to inspire each of us…
And so….
I wish us all well in calming our fears,
becoming more aware of the impact those fears are having in our lives,
realizing the potential positive richness of living with fewer worries and fears
and to work slowly and steadily toward soothing and moving past them..
May we live with the “wishes” in the loving-kindness phrases, as we learn to do this….
May we all learn to be happier and more contented
May we feel healthy and stronger
May we all learn to feel safer and and more secure
May we learn to live with more ease…
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Some related posts/pages that I’ve made and used over many years, with other potentially useful strategies: (there seem to be quite a few… 🙄 )
AIMS: a chart with a sequence of helpful imagining/thinking strategies,
“A Wide Angle Lens”: a series of 5 soothing and calming steps,
“Helpful Thinking, A Flow Chart”: a series of steps to decide whether to keep thinking about something or to just let it go,
“F.E.A.R.”: False Evidence Appearing Real,
“Mind Mumbling”: how worrying is like mud pots in Yellowstone,
“Just Because I Think It, Doesn’t Mean I Can Believe It”: realizing how imagination shouldn’t be believed.
And ending on a positive note…I have really surprised myself by practicing and working hard on this area of quelling and moving past fear and living with more richness: “Surprise Myself”
Good ideas on using positive imagination, rather than negative: “What’s the best that could happen” Spirit Lights the Way .Thank you Nancy for those ideas.
I learned many of these strategies from the weekly Just One Thing newsletters, and Just One Thing book, by Rick Hansen....and I try very hard to use them…I find that they really do help…
(Note: This is/was a big post, with lots of ideas in it…perhaps it would be more helpful to read, reflect and think over time, rather than in one burst….there’s a lot here…)
If we are able to take fear out of our lives, then the pages in the “The Infinite Possibilities of a Life Fully Lived” will contain more rich, generous and satisfying entries. I just made and added 4 positive, fill-in-able work pages to the very bottom of that post…..to fill in…in one’s mind or with pencil…to expand our thinking in usable, concrete ways…to support starting, creating and living more of those potentially infinite possibilities…
Pocket Perspectives 
Instead of focusing on the WORST that could happen . . . I envision the BEST that could happen:
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Good ideas! Thank you for that link to your post…it’s good!….yes, to shift and use that wonderful imagination in a positive manner…or to learn to accept uncertainty…or to learn that other people are going to do what they do and sometimes I can’t fix things or make things better…
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Wow! You’re like the guru of overcoming fear. I love your charts and lists. I’ve actually used some of these methods and they work. Now I know where to come when I’m having a melt down;0
Thanks so much for putting so much time and energy into this. You’re doing such an amazing work here.
Hugs,
Leah
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Well, unfortunately one of the reasons I have lots of ideas, charts, lists etc is that I needed to create them to use them…an overly active imagination at times. But many of the ideas do seem to help me. I’m also fascinated by the human mind…and ways to work toward more positives.
And you’re very welcome…it’s a pleasure to create pages that might help others, as well as myself…we’re all in this together, so what helps one, helps us all. Warm smiles back to you…kathy
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Kathy, this post is in perfect timing for me, so thank you, thank you! Let me explain: I have a dental app’t on Tuesday to have a tooth exctrated and even if I tend to be positive, I felt fear starting to take hold of me. I did the exercises you suggested, took slow breaths, talked to myself gently like a loving mother, and feel this warmth on my back. It works! I will be reading your post on Tuesday again. 😉
I love to see how when we write we get to help another, you did just that right now for me. 🙂 After the dental app’t, I will use your tips for the general fears that we all have.
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Oh, this post was good timing…I’m so happy to have helped out with some ideas. I actually did use a few of these ideas during a dental procedure that had some complications…I actually managed to recenter myself into that calm and quiet spot during the procedure, using imagining a warm, loving, safe spot. Keep practicing them and by Tuesday, it may be easier to access.
And, yes, it’s special to write one’s own ideas and find that they might help others too…thanks for letting me know.
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Wow – you really did an amazing job with this exercise! It’s so helpful to have it broken down into charts – it makes fear seem more manageable and less scary. Thank you!
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Thanks Jodi….and thank you for asking that question in your blog. I hadn’t referenced in my post that the question started with me reading your question.I was really worn out when I finished writing the post, and have been adding more each day. I just added a link to your post to the top of my post…thank you again for bringing that question to the forefront of my mind…fear can be such a limiting factor and uncomfortable feeling… http://www.jodichapman.com/2011/10/03/what-would-you-do-if-you-werent-afraid/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jodichapman%2FyQQw+%28Soul+Speak%29 And my original draft post… https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/other/if-i-took-fear-out-of-my-life/
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If I had let “fear” rule, my husband and I would not be together today. Thankfully, we are!
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It’s amazing how much you both had to go through to get to this point…courage came through…I’m so happy for you and your family!
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Fantastic post, Kathy! 🙂 🙂
Fear is related to our Me-Self (body and ego) only, and is always about something we Me-Selves don’t want. I find the two fastest ways to deal with a fear of whatever magnitude are 1. to take the focus off Me-Self >> trigger thought: “What can I give”; 2. to switch focus to the result I want, for instance through visualisation. I-Self (True Self) is far more powerful than Me-Self – at any moment, in any situation – and by switching off Me-Self we turn on the safe I-Self mode.
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Thanks…..I think I might benefit from a full post on your ideas…expanding on them, perhaps?
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