Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)
Recognizing the hidden addictions that bind you, … to then set your True Self free
Recognizing the hidden addictions that bind you,
… to then set your True Self free
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*Do you pry into <strong>the</strong> affairs of o<strong>the</strong>rs &/or secretly gossip about <strong>the</strong>m?<br />
*Do you slouch when sitting down for any length of time?<br />
*Do you cross your arms, tap your feet, drum your fingers or o<strong>the</strong>rwise fidget while<br />
speaking with o<strong>the</strong>rs?<br />
*Do you avoid speaking in front of larger groups of people?<br />
*Do you worry about <strong>the</strong> safety of your children, <strong>the</strong> happiness of your friends, <strong>the</strong> lives<br />
of your associates or <strong>the</strong> state of <strong>the</strong> world in general?<br />
*When packing for a trip, do you include items that you are unlikely to use and yet are<br />
“good to have along, just in case”?<br />
*Do you feel antsy or nervous when surrounded by people of a different race, class,<br />
political affiliation, religious belief &/or sexual orientation than yourself?<br />
*When meeting with o<strong>the</strong>rs, do you tend to “defend your personal space” or demand that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y respect <strong>the</strong> same?<br />
*Do you attend church primarily to feel comforted?<br />
*Do you avoid trying new things, going to new places &/or meeting new people?<br />
*Do you avoid speaking to <strong>the</strong> homeless people you encounter on <strong>the</strong> street?<br />
*Do you avoid extended eye-contact (ei<strong>the</strong>r in private or in public)?<br />
Addiction is a normal human response to fear, so <strong>the</strong>re is no need to feel ashamed,<br />
embarrassed or in any way “less than” if you answered “yes” to even quite a few of <strong>the</strong>se<br />
questions. Indeed, as each and every one of us is biologically commanded to constantly<br />
be on <strong>the</strong> lookout for anything unfamiliar in our surroundings – and <strong>the</strong>n to label those<br />
unknowns as “dangerous” and to fear <strong>the</strong>m until proven o<strong>the</strong>rwise, it would be a strange<br />
thing indeed if you were not in some way addicted to fear.<br />
And yet now that we have made this rediscovery, <strong>the</strong> question can be posed: What’s <strong>the</strong><br />
big deal? … What’s so “bad” about living occasionally – or even quite often – in fear?<br />
The CONSEQUENCES of our FEAR ADDICTION<br />
Yes, it is true that fear is essentially an adaptive response that has enabled humanity to<br />
survive a number of bouts with near-extinction, and it is also true as well that fear is an<br />
emotional adaptation that can continue to protect us from a variety of threats that<br />
continue to surface in our lives to this day.<br />
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