Fear has always been the source of all evil and the reason why we are spiritually weak. To lose all fear is to learn unconditional love. Do you question yourself: Is it too late to Love? or, Is it too late to be happy? I really don’t think so.
Fear has always been a misunderstood concept. While we feel that fear is unhealthy, we at the same time use fear to control our children. In doing so, we unknowingly hand them down our own fears. To fear the devil is as natural as fearing God is a virtue to many. How can God and Fear be in the same phrase and mean something good? How can we say that we love God when we are at the same time afraid of his wrath? On the other hand, how can we say that our children love us when they are afraid of us? This is a sad but ironical truth which exists in our society.
Fear has been handed down from us from our parents and to them from their parents. It is a vicious cycle that never ends because it is deeply ingrained in our social norms, ideologies and belief systems. Fear is the original sin as symbolically depicted when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden apple in the Garden of Eden; as psychologist would term, Sins of our Fathers. The real challenge is, are we going to hand down again these fears to our children?
The path to conquer fear is a difficult and destructive journey. Many have journeyed this path not as a conscious decision but as a consequence of losing the foundations of their lives. When you lose everything what is left for you to fear? When you lose your job, your house repossessed and your marriage in ruin, what is there left to fear? You wouldn’t even fear death; some would even welcome it. What would you give up to lose your fears? It is difficult to journey when we are seemingly safe in our comfort zone. To conquer fear is very difficult because in order to do so, we have to give up our comfort zones.
Fear breeds evil. This is very true in the events after 9/11. The incident brought out the worst fears in many of us. As a consequence, Iraq was invaded so we could sleep soundly at night. A war supposedly necessary to weaken evil as personified by Osama bin Ladin and the Al Qaeda terrorist network has until now hang in the balance. Did the war crush evil?
Weaken, as many would suggest. What is the definition of total success in this war then? Totally wiping out all Al Qaeda terrorists and supporters from the face of the planet? By itself, this is an impossibility. How sure are we that nobody from their families would follow their path sooner or later? Do we have to identify and kill them all? If we don’t do all of this, does it mean that we will forever be on guard and fearful of future retaliations?
The Cold War brought about nuclear proliferation as a consequence of fear. The nuclear race was a result of cascading fear and distrust between the US and Russia’s nuclear capabilities. The world is still in a perpetual state of subdued fear from these events which happen a long time ago. The consequences are far more devastating as compared to the false sense of security from the nuclear race. Haven’t we learned enough from history which has clearly demonstrated the consequences of fear based actions? Terrorism will grow and breed as long as we fear it; just as we will continue to fear nuclear holocaust because of the presence of nuclear weapons.
The current economic crisis is another reason why it’s never too late to conquer fear. Many are dazed and stunned by their sudden reversal of fortunes. How easily jobs, homes and investments are wiped out. To conquer fear means to be able to easily accept the reality and move on from there. To conquer fear means not anymore caring on what other people say on our pitiful state. It is a chance to live a simpler, balance and contented life. It is the foundation of happy living; so that when the wheel of fortune points at us again, we have already become more centered and grounded individuals. To conquer fear means the world to everybody.
