These are stressful and confusing times for many of us. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in people. Daily life is disrupted completely for everyone across the globe. People are feeling uncertain about what could happen in the coming weeks. Feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and fear are very common today. People are worried about their own health and the health of their loved ones. How can we deal with all our fears under the current circumstances? Let’s first understand:
Why do we have fear?
Fear arises from doubt and the unknown. When we have doubts about how something is going to turn out, it opens the door to fear. When we doubt ourselves, we fear making a wrong decision or making a mistake. When we doubt whether an outcome will turn out right, we fear the consequences. If we doubt the existence of controlling power, we live in fear of chance occurrences and accidents.
We fear being weak. The young boy or girl on the school playground fears the bully. Each day as he or she walks home from school, the weak child lives in fear of being physically attacked by the bigger children. At work, the employee fears the employer. The employer holds the future of our salary and job in his or her hands. We may feel weak and powerless to speak up for injustices on the job because those who hold the power may retaliate and punish us for doing so.
We are more afraid of our thoughts of what is out there than of what is actually out there. Those who fear death, in actuality, fear the unknown. The fear is always trying to eat us up in one manner or another. People fear the unknown because it may be unpleasant or painful. Since they do not know what to expect, anxiety and fear build within them.
How can we achieve fearlessness?
Our soul, which is totally conscious, is a part of God and, therefore, is without fear. Since God is all-consciousness, and the soul is one with the Lord, it is God in a microcosm. God is without fear, and the soul is also without fear. It is only when we are out of touch with our soul that we begin to be afraid. The soul is truth; the soul is totally conscious. Being in connection with absolute truth means there is no fear. Thus, there is no fear in the soul.
The soul’s quality of wisdom gives it access to the knowledge of all that is. There is nothing potentially unknown to the soul. It knows what is and what is to be. What has it to fear? Those who have been in touch with their soul-the saints, mystics, prophets, and enlightened beings-have experienced it.
Becoming Desensitised
In medicine, to desensitise someone is to give one small dose of the substance to which one is allergic. By learning to tolerate small doses, the body builds resistance and can handle larger doses of the irritating substance. If we begin to practice fearlessness in small situations, we can grow in our ability to handle greater and greater challenges. To practice fearlessness, we must come in contact with our empowered soul.
How can we experience our empowered soul and fearlessness?
We need to learn that our empowered soul is the one who is really facing our challenges. If we connect with our empowered soul, we will overcome all fears and gain a lasting sense of peace and security. Our empowered soul, being one with God, is there for us. It is there to help us through the challenges of life. We just need to sit in silence and experience our empowered soul.
Meditation is the process by which we take our attention away from the world outside and focus it on ourselves. In doing so, we defocus from the turmoil of our surroundings and connect with our soul which is a part of God, the source of all love and joy.
What can we do in the current times?
We cannot put an end to life’s challenges. We have no control over the outer universe. We cannot say for certain that we will not lose our job, our home, our wealth, or a loved one. What we can do is face these challenges with a sense of fearlessness so that we are not incapacitated by fear and despair. What we can do is take a break from reading, watching or listening to news stories, including social media and spend time in meditation and experiencing our empowered soul.
Once we become aware of our spiritual nature and experience our soul, we will find that our lives will be filled with love, joy, fearlessness, acceptance, and trust.
The author is the Head of the Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission.
