When we look at the way our society runs, the way that nations run, the way our world is run – it is based on fear. Sometimes this is true even in our own lives.
In yogic tradition, the root cause of fear is attachment. Attachment to what we have, attachment to happiness, comfort, the experiences of our senses, the experiences of our mind. We are attached to this life – we want it to go on forever. Yet we all know, nothing lasts forever and someday we too will need to leave this world.
Our attachment to those things that we enjoy are actually the cause of fear. The fear that governs our life, ruins our life.
But there is something inside each of us that is fearless: our True Self. This aspect of ourselves is pure, unblemished, whole and complete. Nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. It is always there, shining, yet it gets covered under the layers of wordly maya (illusion).
It is the simplicity of our mind and the generosity of our heart that removes our fear.
Look at what you are afraid of and how much energy you put into it – either pushing it away or letting it chase you away. We spend so much of our time and energy protecting ourselves from what we are afraid of. Whatever you are afraid of losing, can you be generous with it and share with others? You will see, the fear of losing goes away. Once your life becomes a life of service, you become fearless.
If you look at fear, it’s really just imagination. A creation of the mind. We see a rope coiled on the ground, and in fear, believe it to be a snake. Before jumping and running away – take a closer look. Maybe it’s not what it appears to be. How real is the fear that you are experiencing? Often the reality is very different from what our mind creates. Even if the worst of our fears actually comes true, in that moment you will find that you are also given the strength to deal with it.
Whenever you are feeling crippled by fear, the best thing to do in that moment is to just stop, take a step back, and say to yourself, “What am I grateful for?” Shift the focus of your mind to the blessings in your life. Look around you. Is there something you can do to help another or make your environment look a little nicer? There is so much power in simple acts of kindness.
We have a choice. Do we live in fear or can we acknowledge the attachment that is at its root and live with the knowledge that “Whatever happens, I will make the best out of it.”
The day we give ourselves that permission, fear will have no grip over us.