“To be afraid of (something or someone), to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant), to be afraid and worried” ~ Merriam Webster Dictionary
I once had a neighbour whose daughter at the time was same age as my oldest. Like all……wel most four years old, she loved collecting things, anytime they were outdoors they collected snails, seeds, lady bugs, and lizards. One day the neighbours daughter caught a baby frog, she showed it to me and I told her it was beautiful, but when she showed it to her mother, she literally jumped to the ceiling and started shouting at her to drop the frong. She smashed it with his foot, spanked her daughter, and told her it was bad, she told her the frog was dangerous because it had teeth and could bite her finger off. On her next birthday, I bought my neighbour’s daughter a book about frogs, during the course of her birthday party I explain about the different types of Frogs and that the ones in our surrounding area were not poisonous or dangerous, and it was ok to pick them up, as long as she didn’t hurt them because all living creatures deserved respect.
But even with all my explaining FEAR had already taken over, from that day on each time she went outside she was cautious, she never collected anything again for fear of finding another frog. He entire childhood changed, she became fearful of almost everything that crawl, jumped or slithered on the ground. Years later I ran into her, now a young woman she was explaining how she had broken her ankle running from a frog that her young son had brought into the house.
There are only two fears we were born with, one is the fear of falling, the other is the fear of loud sounds. However, through superstition, social upbringing and the mind, we create fear within ourselves. Fear of going outside, fear of speaking in public, fear of starting a new life, fear of leaving a dead end job, fear of leaving a bad relationship, fear being stuck in traffic, and even fear of people. I can go on and on with a list of ‘phobias’ we’ve imposed on ourselves. These fears stop us dead in our tracks, they often take over our lives. The grip of fear is like the grip of death, once it takes hold, it never lets go. I have fears, but I’m quickly learning to control them and not let them control me.
Beginning to today, make a list of all your fears, whether it fear about money, moving on or moving out. Make a list and each day work on overcoming at least one of those fears. Begin your day with the affirmation of…………I release this fear of ___________ I will no longer let this fear control my life, instead I will control my fear.
Here’s a link to an interesting, if not disturbing, story about baby Albert……..A child who was taught FEAR
Simply Etta 