Afraid of the Dark
Posted on 06. Oct, 2010 by Ken Bechtel in The Goo Blog
By guest blogger – Wakenda Willingham
Do you remember when you were a child and you were afraid of the dark, or the monster under the bed? Our parents always told us there was nothing to be afraid of and often times they would turn on the lights and tell us to look under the bed only to discover that nothing was there. They would tuck us in and we felt safe knowing that we were protected and there was nothing to fear.
What is the fear that is presenting itself to you now? Is there something dark that you are afraid to face? Perhaps it is that you might lose your house, or your job or perhaps your loved one. We live in a society were we are bombarded with fearful images of tragedy and of “what could be†or what “might happen if.†Although our lives may seem fine to an outsider, we cannot fully be present in the moment and see the beauty around us because we are overly worried about a scenario that has not happened yet or may never happen.
Next time you feel this fear, invite the fear to come to your door. Imagine surrendering to the fear and giving into it. What happens when you do this? Does lightening come down and strike you dead in the moment? It is probably most unlikely. Perhaps the fear really was just “fear itself.†Or perhaps there is something that is asking for your attention that you need to address. By inviting the fear in, you and your fear can become one and work together. You may see that was once the Apocalypse in your mind is simply something that needs your attention. Perhaps you need to take some kind of action by organizing your bills, or calling your bank and working out a payment plan to pay off some debt, or by simply telling your loved one that you love them and everything is going to be “okâ€. By doing this, we can free ourselves from the unknown and experience ourselves more fully in the present moment.
Next time you feel afraid of the unknown, take a look and find out who the monster is hiding under the bed and turn on the light! You may just find that there was nothing there to begin with, or just perhaps some dust bunnies that simply need cleaning.
