Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Fear -- A Way OUT
Step 01: RELEASE WHAT DOESN’T WORK
Before we can engage our fear with methods that function, we must have the humility to
identify – and the courage to dismiss – those that don’t. To that end, consider the
following popular delusions related to combating fear and “becoming happier”:
Myth #01: exuding aggression & acting with bravado …
Confronting your fears by “acting tough” doesn’t relieve your angst, and it certainly
doesn’t make you courageous. In actuality, anger and hate and aggression are all highly
crystallized forms of fear, and as such, these behaviors only serve to intensify the fears
that inspire them in the first place.
So the next time you catch yourself being boisterous or overconfident — or daring or
bold or mean or combative, realize that all you really are is afraid, and that the only way
to combat fear is with its opposite: Love.
And the next time you see anyone else being disruptive or condemnatory or threatening
in any way, remember that they are not showing you their strength; they are showing you
their fear. On the outside they might seem strong and certain and definitive, yet on the
inside they are timid and trembling – cowering in the darkened corners of their minds;
afraid to come out into the light. In such times, even though you yourself might be quite
afraid, please remember that aggressive people do not need your “respect” or your
allegiance or your capitulation – what they need is your compassion and your kindness …
What they need is Love.
Myth #02: “getting healthy” & “taking care of yourself” …
Quite a few “health professionals” will implore you to combat your fear (and its close
cousins – anger & sadness) by “eating right” or getting more rest or even taking
prescription medications. While it has been established that reducing your intake of
caffeine, sugar, alcohol and meat will indeed give you an emotional boost and have you
living a “happier life” (and while it is certainly ok to feel good and enjoy a healthier life),
such self-centered shifts in behavior will not have any lasting soothing effects on your
underlying dis-ease.
To the contrary, the more you focus on yourself and striving for your own happiness, the
stronger your base-fears will become.
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