Your Fears Will Set You Free, but Only If You Free Them First

Living in fearfulness is a lonely place of mental trickery, created by our ego to protect us. This realm is something we all know. Yet when we face our fears, we begin to pull the mask of our ego away, and discover the hidden depths to who we are -- and who we are afraid to become.

By using every thought and emotion as a gateway to self-knowledge and self-mastery, we can turn fear into our friend. It's through fear that we find courage, the echo of the lion’s roar that lies within us all.

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Your Fears Will Set You Free, but Only If You Free Them First

Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.

- Jim Morrison

We never feel happy or resolute in fear; it’s a pit of confusion, inner struggle and tension. Our fears are not something to fight with a mighty sword. Our fears are something that in the first instance we should embrace and question. The goal is to acknowledge what sits beneath that fear. Ask yourself what you are protecting yourself from and ask yourself what you fear to lose; challenge your belief systems.

When we question what we feel and think we allow the transparency of those thoughts and emotions to find their way to the surface. We can uncover fears layer by layer to see what lies beyond. Fears are very often irrational and driven by a deeper source, maybe an old wound or a past failure. Our ego holds the memory of the past and the prospect of future uncertainty well. Through questioning and mindfully challenging what makes you afraid, you open up a space for reflection and the truth that hides behind your fears.

Break free of your thought cycles

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.

- Helen Keller (read more quotes)

Thoughts and emotions can easily gain momentum and spin us into a senseless web where we keep experiencing the same scenario. The same self-doubt and fear stunt our ability to be vulnerable and open to new experiences. We allow dread and worry to possess us in the memory bank of our body -- yet when we look deeper into those feelings, we effectively release them from their bounds. We give ourselves the chance to break free.

Fears operate like a hamster wheel, enclosing you in circular patterns that repeat the same motion over and over again. Fear grows in confidence each time around. We cannot find new perspectives if we remain on the turn of the same revolving sequence. When we valiantly leap off the hamster wheel is when we can see past the illusion of fear. Breaking the chain means we can start to strip back what keeps us afraid, doubtful, or in a state of disharmony.

Dig deep through the layers

We are all museums of fear.

- Charles Bukowski

There is a pattern to many of our intrinsic emotions. Once we rebel from the patterns that hold us back, we are able to actually face what is before us and reflect upon it. We need to dig deeper into our thoughts and emotions rather than accepting them at face value. If we brush past what we feel and think without really delving into what drives that mental and emotional energy then we can easily be fooled into believing it all. Remember that doubts, fears, and worries are not the truth of you. Your inner essence and soul carry the strength and authenticity of you, and this is outside of any falsehoods created in your mind or felt on a surface level.

The journey through fear is to see it for what it is: a memory or irrational prospect of what you don’t want. Accept its presence and then begin to uncover each layer of it. As we grow in age, we grow in layers. Fears that are not dealt with will keep finding their way back to us; we will repeat what we do, rather than take the opportunity to repair. It is often what we are most afraid of that vibrates from a seemingly forgotten inner wound; a weak spot that we need to insightfully strengthen.

Find growth through fear

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

- Marie Curie

How can we courageously evolve and engage in the full newness and magic of life if we aren’t first pushed a little? As human beings we grow against resistance. Just like the muscles in our body that allow us to move, we gain strength and endurance through some kind of ‘overload’. Pain opens us up to our vulnerability, the centre of our heart space, and fear nourishes our need for bravery.

When we feel fear it’s a sign of something within that we need to challenge ourselves to change. It is our powerful agent for transformation. What is your fear speaking to you about on a deeper level? An element of danger and risk is the undertone of our existence, because following our hearts is built on chance. We need to indulge in our inner struggles so we can realize the full magnitude of our brilliant power to overcome them.

When you expose yourself to your fears, you find a rebellious touch of liberation. You release yourself from a vice-grip and discover an odyssey of courage, truth and faith to move forward. You can choose to replace fear with faith.

Becoming fearless through fear

We should humanize our fears rather than demonize them. We should not fear fear. We can choose to embrace, accept and challenge what scares us by uncovering what lies beneath in the tiers and secrets of our soul. Don’t fight your fears -- free them and you free yourself.