Fear is a human reaction to being isolated from others and having lost faith. We become scared of not being enough, of being incapable, of being abandoned. Physically we may be surrounded by friends, but our cloud of fear will follow us everywhere if untreated. Atheists and spirituals alike, how can we reconnect to a higher power than ourselves?
I found that the illusion of control over our lives radiates the greatest fear. I thought all my worrying about achieving my goals would lead me to more insight about things I might have overlooked. By trying to stay in control, I wasted so much time being in my own head that life ran away from me.
I decided to tackle each day individually instead of trying to solve my entire life at once. Breaking up large goals such as career into achievable chunks, and having faith that little by little I would get there, I surprised myself with my achievements. I was terrified of not achieving enough; but my fear of failure stemmed in fear of being judged. By completing large projects little by little I made myself proud, and I didn’t rely (as heavily) on the approval of my peers, and I have learned to have faith in myself.
I trusted my gut instinct to guide me in my daily endeavours, but I have also made friends with my fear. I actively seek it out now. Fear shows us where we can grow, and our flaws can turn into superpowers. There is no better feeling than jumping headfirst into an adventure that scares us, and coming out having had grown and fun. As long as our curiosity is the tiniest bit larger than our fear, we are truly living life.
I find my higher power in community. By calling friends every day, cuddling my pets and helping strangers I find the faith to find joy every day. If I didn’t struggle with depression and anxiety, I might not have gone the extra mile, so I’m grateful to my mental health. It is often in what we complain about that we find real gold.
Reparent Your Soul 