21-Feb-2010

Confront It

Put Fear Under the Microscope

The mind does what it does, it’s pretty much always going. By cultivating a relationship with it, through meditation, you begin to notice patterns. Often there are little glitches, jumps in the tape that are very telling if you’re willing to listen. These jumps, which often manifest in the mind as repeated associations, carry with them certain charges, electrical and emotional. Underneath them all is an element of fear.

Fear is actually a good sign. It shows that you are critically minded enough to recognize a danger. The problem arises when fears go ignored, simmering in your subconscious and dictating your behavior. So the next time you sit down and meditate, go deep and pay particular attention to the moments your mind resists. Take these moments and put them under the microscope. Observe what fears are causing the resistance. It may be difficult, but eventually these fears will dissolve, leaving you lighter, more mature and with an experience of fearlessness.

Recommended: Embracing Fear: How to Turn What Scares Us into Our Greatest Gift