The Only Thing We Have To Fear is Fear Itself Have you ever paused for a second just to ask yourself, “What is fear? ” or, “What am I afraid of? ” Have you thought about it – your fears – and the reason behind them, or are they just “there”? The truth is everyone is afraid of something. Everybody has fears. You could fear an insect or animal, your examination results, your parents, your teacher, your boss, an older sibling, for your safety and the list is never-ending! In the end, it is ironic that what we only need to really fear is fear itself.
As a person, there are probably a million things you would like to do but are too afraid to try. Maybe you think that it would be amazing to go skydiving – yet you are afraid of heights! Maybe you get an opportunity to study overseas – yet you are afraid of leaving home! Maybe you have your eye on someone – yet you are afraid that the relationship between you two might fall apart! Did you notice that the only thing stopping you from experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime experience or finding true love, is fear? The reality of fear is that you’re not afraid of the dark, you’re afraid of what’s in it.
You’re not afraid of heights, you’re afraid of falling. You’re not afraid of people around you, you’re just afraid of rejection. You’re not afraid of love, you’re just afraid of not being loved back and you’re not afraid to try again, you’re just afraid of getting hurt for the same reason. The dictionary defines fear as being an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight), but I see it as an obstacle. That is what fear is. It is just an obstacle in our path to success, happiness, excitement, love and even fame.
In life, you regret the things you did not do more than the things you did, and the reason behind you not doing what you wanted to is usually due to some sort of fear. Imagine yourself, for just a day, being absolutely fearless. Look into your past, look at things you would have done differently that would have had a good outcome but didn’t – all because of the chance you were too afraid to take. A quote I will always remember is, “Take a chance,because you never know how perfect something could turn out to be. ” I have looked in my past and the more I think about things I could have changed if I did not have fear, the more upset it made me.
The one thing I have realised is that there is no going back. Life is what you make of it, right now, in the present and THAT is what determines your future. I don’t want to miss out on great opportunities in the future because of how afraid I am that it would not turn out the way I expect it to. By allowing my decisions to be based on fear, I am allowing fear to control my life, and a life controlled by fear cannot really be considered living. Now, I know that I need not be afraid of the little things; I need only be afraid of fear. For fear has the power to deny me living my life to the fullest.
