Overcoming Fear in a Crazy Year like 2020
So far, 2020 has done a wickedly stellar job at painfully jabbing at our buried fears. No other year in recent memory has collectively triggered us so deeply and so relentlessly.
What if I told you that you could put all this fear, anxiety and worry to good use? What if you could use the fear-riddled shit show of 2020 to help you overcome fear? Curious? Read on!
(Photo: Aaron Blanco Tejedor)
At first glance, it appears as if our fears are obvious. Many people are afraid that their elderly parents, loved ones or they themselves will become ill with the corona virus. Some people fear that a covid-19 vaccine won’t come fast enough, while others are afraid that vaccines will become mandatory.
Some people are scared that a second wave could mean a second lock-down. Yet others fear that governments will have heightened control over our lives, threatening our rights and freedom. Finally, most of us are anxious that this mask-wearing, over-sanitizing, physical-distancing era will rage on for a mini eternity.
(Photo: Adam Niescioruk)
What if these fears are like the outer layer skin on our bodies, while other hidden fears stealthily creep around in our guts? During times of uncertainty when the ground below our feet feels shaky, we need to ask ourselves: what are we really afraid of?
What is the root of our fears?
Overcoming fear requires that we take inventory of our inner emotional landscape. If we look within ourselves, we realize that we’re petrified that life is happening to us and that we have no damn control over it.
We’re afraid that we are utterly helpless. We’re terrified that we are beyond vulnerable and totally powerless.
(Photo: Saneej Kallingal)
Our Buried Fears from Childhood
When we pause and look within, we’ll likely discover that the unpredictable and out-of-control circumstances of 2020 have poked at some buried fears within us. Often these unprocessed fears have been lingering within us since childhood.
When our buried fears from childhood are triggered, we react to life as the scared, hurt child within us.
Trying to control our external environment will not alleviate our anxiety or help us to feel safe. Overcoming fear requires that we journey inward and face what’s being held within us. This is the path to peace and emotional freedom.
We are the Prisoners of our Concealed Fears
When we deny our underlying fears and stored emotions, we become easily stressed, anxious or panicked. We explode with anger or lash out at others. We become super defensive and closed-minded. We blame and criticize others. We feel like the victims of life.
In order to outrun our stored emotions and our fear of powerlessness, some of us escape by boozing, drugging, napping, obsessively working, overeating or spending hours dazed staring at a screen.
None of these above-mentioned states allow us to be truly happy and at peace.
Healing Power of Releasing Buried Fear
Recently, I worked with a client who was experiencing a monstrous amount of fear. Although she gave me a legitimate-sounding reason as to why she was experiencing such intense fear, I sensed that there was something BIG buried within her that was adding kerosene to the fire of her fear.
When I tuned into her energy, I saw that when she was about 18 months old, there was a gigantic wall of FEAR wedged into her family home. The fear belonged to her mother. (Apparently my client’s family had gone through some really tough circumstances during this time.)
This massive energy of fear lodged itself into baby’s body. Feeling completely overtaken by this enormous, scary energy, baby froze and held her breath like a tiny statue.
(Photo: Jelleke Vanooteghem)
Although this event occurred 45 years ago, as an adult my client was easily triggered to feel overwhelmed and unable to function or think clearly in situations that triggered this mega fear within her. In order for this beautiful woman to be able to respond to challenging life events with some sense of calm and clarity, it was essential to reveal and release this intense fear that had been jammed in her for decades.
When we courageously acknowledge and release our fears and stored emotions, we are less triggered to feel helpless, angry, overwhelmed or fearful when life drops bombs on us. (And let’s face it — life is full of unexpected detours, messy mudslides and emotional earthquakes.)
The One Secret you Need to Know
Here’s another really important thing to understand — when we believe that we must rely solely on our own personal human strength to succeed in life (or simply survive), we wind up feeling uneasy, anxious, fearful, overwhelmed, exhausted, deflated, depressed and alone. (Read that again!)
When we learn to align with our authentic power (rather than relying solely on the limited human self), we tap into the peace that we’ve been longing for.
Within each of us is a limitless, fearless, and loving light. This inner radiance is your place of power. This is your inner strength and your unwavering peace. This brilliance is the authentic YOU. It is who you are.
(Photo: Jamie Street)
While the human self feels self-doubt, fear and uncertainty, the soul is unshakeable. A Course in Miracles states this beautifully: “There is a place in you where there is perfect peace. There is a place in you where nothing is impossible.”
When we learn to anchor ourselves in our own divinity and trust that the Universe (God; the Divine) is always with us (and within us), we experience a deep faith that we are cared for and that all is well, even during intensely challenging times.
Overcoming fear and experiencing real peace requires that we look our fears straight in the eyes. As an intuitive healer, I’m able to see the emotions and fears that are hidden within and help you let them go.
When we heal our buried emotions and align with our authentic self, we’re able to rise and overcome, even during a year as wild and nerve-wracking as 2020.
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