Fear is always present in our lives and it’s actually a normal emotion. It can manifest itself as anxiety and or depression or a combination of both. We have been taught that fear is wrong, something to be denied. If we can be even a little bit curious about what is behind the fear, it gives us an opportunity to connect with our deepest hurts and wounds and to transform them. Fear can give us a chance to excavate, to look deeply and deal with behaviours and emotions that are holding us back from fully living our lives. And when we look at it from this vantage point, we diminish the fear and can move forward. I read a book a long time ago which started me on the path of combating anxiety, fear and depression (and there was a lot). The book was called “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by an author called Susan Jeffers. The book was written for people like me (and you). At that time I was suffering post-natal depression which for me manifested as the intense fear and anxiety that I couldn’t be a good mother to my son. The book taught me that fear is normal. The book helped me to move through the fear of being an incompetent mother. By taking the small steps offered in the book, I built the confidence to show up to life in a new way. Building confidence in myself, and my abilities to be a competent mother took a while. And it’s like learning any new skill, it took patience, self-compassion and faith. And I truly believe that we never let go of fear, sure the fear changes, and yet it is part of the human condition. In accepting fear and working with it, we can set ourselves free to live our lives more fully.
