We tend to think that fear is a negative emotion, something unwanted, a bad quality to possess. I disagree greatly with this notion. I truly believe that fear is necessary and very useful.
I was once read a book when I was in middle school about the origins of human beings as a species. I can't quite remember the title or the author of the book but I do remember learning something profound that still has an impact in my life until this day.
The author explained that fear was a survival instinct that human beings had to have in order to survive. Imagine being an early human being still learning about the world. You had beasts roaming everywhere and each one of them had the ability and the instinct to kill you and eat you.
Now imagine that your natural instinct of fear was non existence. You see one of these beasts charging towards you roaring and baring its teeth. Out of bravery alone you stand your ground and take on the animal. It is ten times your size and twenty times stronger. In a few second you are dead.
Imagine every human being at the time does the same thing you did and received the same fate. Do you think that any of us would be around today?
Fear was and still is needed to warn us of danger. We need it to be cautious and vigilant of the world we live in. Fear was born out of necessity. Because of it human beings were able to develop many ideas that led to how we live today. Seeking safety and security came from the fears of being constantly in danger which caused anxiety. "Necessity is the mother of all inventions."
I have alluded above that fear keeps us cautious and vigilant. Besides these it keeps us alive. When we stop to fear life we stop to live. We face many challenges that force us to grow. Growth means change and change is scary. If you're not growing you're not changing. If you're not changing you're not living.
Perception and mastering your mind is very important. Fear doesn't need to be disabling. We can harness fear to work in our favour. What happens to us is out of our control but how we see it and how we respond to it is completely within our control. Positivist is such a strong mindset to have.
Being afraid is good. It is natural. Even the bible says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Fear is not as bad as we make it out to be. We just need to know how to take advantage of it. Facing our fears gives us purpose and motivates us to take on life. Don't be ashamed of being afraid. Acknowledge your fears but don't be paralysed it.
A BITTER SWEET DAY
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
ALL PICTURES ARE TAKEN FROM PIXABAY
