Be Not Afraid
Be not afraid...this was the title of an email I received this morning in my inbox. I get these "Thought for the day" newsletters from Oprah. I don't remember requesting such a thing because I don't really like Oprah but I keep opening them because they are usually pretty good messages.
The author suggests that there are 6 things we are afraid of but really don't need to be... Just so you know, the thoughts in italics are mine, not the author's.
1. Burglars in the house ( It could happen)
2. Plunging off a bridge in your car and landing in the river below
3. An elevator plummeting to the ground ( I never use to be afraid of this but now that it's been brought to my attention as a possibility...)
4. Drowning in quicksand (my personal favorite since I so often find myself surrounded by quicksand but now, thanks to this article, I don't need to be afraid of it anymore! So relieved!) Moving on...
5. Being kidnapped and held for ransom (at least the kidnapper understands my great worth)
6. A plane crash. (I rarely fly so...not relevant, today at least.)
Hmmm, this article was not that helpful. Are these really things we are afraid of in life? These don't even come close to the things I am afraid of in life. How about an article on things that are really scary like losing your job and never finding another one or finding a job that takes you away for 40+ hours a week from the one thing that brings you peace and joy, your kids. Coming down with the 'awful' and 'terrible' which limits my capacity to be a mother and take care of my kids, that's a scary thought. Being afraid of Shwachmans, Mitochondrial disease, Dyskeratosis Congenita and any other orphan disease that carries a huge pricetag- the life of my children.
Then there are the little things that make me scared. Scared I won't be able to absorb all the bad things so my kids can live a happy, sort of normal life. Scared they will give up, scared they will lose hope, scared they will be scared...yes the list goes on and seems a little more in depth than the 6 important things listed in the article.
The moral of the story? Well, in this day and age, there is plenty to be scared of. Fears can consume one's day but then what is left? Ed and Deb Shapiro, who have written a lot of material on Fear, generated an acronym for F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real.
Since all the tumult last week, I realized I needed to chill...focus on what I know to be real and dwell with that for a bit. That is where my efforts are this week but it's hard to stay in a place such as this.
The author suggests that there are 6 things we are afraid of but really don't need to be... Just so you know, the thoughts in italics are mine, not the author's.
1. Burglars in the house ( It could happen)
2. Plunging off a bridge in your car and landing in the river below
3. An elevator plummeting to the ground ( I never use to be afraid of this but now that it's been brought to my attention as a possibility...)
4. Drowning in quicksand (my personal favorite since I so often find myself surrounded by quicksand but now, thanks to this article, I don't need to be afraid of it anymore! So relieved!) Moving on...
5. Being kidnapped and held for ransom (at least the kidnapper understands my great worth)
6. A plane crash. (I rarely fly so...not relevant, today at least.)
Hmmm, this article was not that helpful. Are these really things we are afraid of in life? These don't even come close to the things I am afraid of in life. How about an article on things that are really scary like losing your job and never finding another one or finding a job that takes you away for 40+ hours a week from the one thing that brings you peace and joy, your kids. Coming down with the 'awful' and 'terrible' which limits my capacity to be a mother and take care of my kids, that's a scary thought. Being afraid of Shwachmans, Mitochondrial disease, Dyskeratosis Congenita and any other orphan disease that carries a huge pricetag- the life of my children.
Then there are the little things that make me scared. Scared I won't be able to absorb all the bad things so my kids can live a happy, sort of normal life. Scared they will give up, scared they will lose hope, scared they will be scared...yes the list goes on and seems a little more in depth than the 6 important things listed in the article.
The moral of the story? Well, in this day and age, there is plenty to be scared of. Fears can consume one's day but then what is left? Ed and Deb Shapiro, who have written a lot of material on Fear, generated an acronym for F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real.
Since all the tumult last week, I realized I needed to chill...focus on what I know to be real and dwell with that for a bit. That is where my efforts are this week but it's hard to stay in a place such as this.
I'll admit, I'm afraid of a couple of those things.. Plunging off a bridge in your car and landing in the river below--but only on twisty mountain roads(I think I was traumatized by a crash I saw when I was younger, a couple girls died, and my dad jumped in freezing cold water and tried to get them out of the car). A plane crashing, I'm terrified of flying! I absolutely hate it, I still get on planes but I'm uneasy the entire time! and a few fears that aren't mentioned, that Vince says I shouldn't be afraid of...maybe I need to read that article. =)
ReplyDeleteMy take on fear has changed so much, too. It is a wonder we can keep going sometimes.
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