When the Path Ahead Is Unclear
Fear is amorphous, nebulous. It fills the space like a steam room or foggy night. Although it has no real substance, and you could walk right through it, it blocks vision, creating a false barrier to our paths. When we can’t see clearly, even if we know the way, we tend to stop in our tracks. We become uncertain and question our validity and actions. We question our right to move forward, our abilities and our own minds. The fog of fear holds no real power, yet it can hold us in place, make us to retreat or even cause us to cower and hand over our power to this seemingly real entity.
A Ghost by Any Other Name
Fear is a mythical creation, and it is only our belief in it that gives it power—the power to change our actions and even the power to cause physical reactions and manifestations. We can change this. Our true power lies in choosing where we put our focus, where we place our beliefs, and what we choose to act on. It is okay to have feelings, acknowledge them and still choose not to act on them. We can offer acceptance yet make another choice. This is where the power lies.
When we choose to react to fear or conform to the status quo—a generally accepted framework of life dictated by consensus of the external world—we are not making the choice at all. We are being chosen for and disregarding our truth. We need to exert power not over others, but over our own choice to follow our personal motivation and soul desires. Acting according to another person’s will is handing over control and is disempowering. It is puppetry, whether we are simple trying to fit in or trying to make other people happy. It doesn’t really work, because inauthentic action does not carve a path of fulfillment, no matter how much easier it may seem. It will not get you where you really want to be.
Making Better Choices
We must make choices that resonate with our hearts, not ones that are conjured by our minds without consideration for our true selves. Of course, there are actions we must take in life for purely physical needs like food, water and shelter. But there are many more choices we make that are unrelated to these basic survival needs, and those are the ones that need a different kind of attention. Rather than reactive, dismissive or obsessive thinking, many choices we make each day, from the miniscule to the large, can be more easily and successfully navigated by going inward. This is especially true when the fog of fear sets in and we can’t see our way. Next time you are faced with a decision try this instead:
- Ask yourself,
- Am I feeling fear, anxiety, or apprehension?
- Am I reacting to the situation or my feelings?
- Am I worrying about what other people will think?
- Am I dismissing my needs or feelings?
- Am I obsessing about this decision?
- If the answer to any of these questions is yes, stop and take a slow deep breath.
- Continue with several breaths to center your energy and move your focus inward.
- Present the options to yourself from this calmer space, and see how they sound to you, how they make you feel, and what each outcome would look like. (This takes into consideration the different ways people process information.)
- Think about your answers, write them down or talk it out, whatever works best for you.
Now you can make a choice from a place of greater clarity, based on what resonates with you and empowers you on your path. This process is a step toward greater awareness and deeper understanding of yourself and how you live your life and how your life runs you. Awareness is always the first step toward change and growth. Allow yourself this gift so you can move forward in a new way.
Sarah A. Sporn – The Evolving Intuitive
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