The Fear Factor
What would life be like without fear? Maybe your initial response is “that’s impossible.”
Fear can have some helpful tenants. That intuitive feeling that pings, just as something “not right” is about to happen. But what happens when this hypervigilance is running the show. When all you can look for and see is fear based?
It makes sense how we (the collective) got here. From major trauma, including the ancestral kind that is passed on from generation to generation.
When you start to notice the role of fear in your life, you may start to see that a lot of it is run by fear. Which becomes the new invitation.
Notice
To start to unpack this and have a new experience, it starts with noticing. Noticing the role of fear in your life and if it serves you. Is it empowering or disempowering. How does it show up? Notice how it can be sneaky.
I like to be in a literal conversation with fear. Noticing and then the mental commentary, “oh look, I am doing that fear based thing again.”
Contrast
Another exercise you can try is to imagine how you make decisions, use your time and direct your attention, when fear doesn't exist. Imagine living without fear. You may notice yourself living and deciding quite differently. Through this contrast you can really see the role fear is playing in your life.
Embodiment
One of the sneaky parts of fear is it can lead one to feel disembodied or disassociated. Think, not fully being in your life. Embodiment practices like breathing, self massage and journaling can be a very powerful invitation back into your self.
Perhaps there will always be fear in the world and in your life. Acknowledging that it does play a role, and that it isn’t good or bad can be helpful for deeper understanding and acceptance. Could there be a world we find ourselves in, that no longer has ANY fear? Maybe. I think that moment will be when collectively, or enough people have decided, no thanks I don’t need or do this anymore and they start tapping into possibility vs. fear as the default mode.
A powerful question to ask is “who’s fear is this?” Maybe it is yours, or maybe it has been programming into your life, and no longer needs a seat at your table. Things you may not realize how powerful of an impact, TV shows, key relationships, social media, society, they all can impact the lens in which you see the world. And certainly can lock in your subconscious beliefs, think experiences especially that you experienced before the age of 10.
When you start to notice, you can make a new decision. What is the role you want fear to play in your life? When you start to notice this within yourself, you start to see how your decision making could use an upgrade. How you can swap out the fear for the infinite possibilities.
Right now I invite you to bring to your mind, something that is on your heart, that you are currently navigating. Feel into what it is fear based, and see what it would feel like for just this moment, to step into infinite possibility. For example, the job you secretly (or not so secretly) hate, maybe you are afraid to give up the steadiness or the predictability. For a moment consider what else could be possible, when you know that infinite possibilities exist.
When you realize that fear is an invitation to experiences you may not want to have, this can radically shift how and what you do, think about, and live.
Enjoy these consciousness practices and consider working with one of our amazing consciousness coaches or joining The Lila Life Collective to dive deeper.