You Don’t Need To Be Fearless

Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about working with fear. First thing I want to say about fear is that it's a data signal, but it's not an impasse. While it's true, that fear can have what can feel like a paralyzing effect, especially in the context of trauma. When we bring the experience of fear into awareness, into mindfulness and relate to it with kindness, curiosity, and respect, we're bringing online the part of our brain that overrides this helpless, paralyzed response.

And so you don't need to try to be fearless. And sometimes when we try to be fearless, we just create more tension in our system because we're frustrated that we're experiencing fear in the first place. Instead, what would it be like to appreciate fear as a useful part of the human experience? Feel it, breathe into it and assess its value in your current context. Recognizing that fear is, is just a data signal. It's not an impasse.

It's not something that has to stop you. It's an experience and emotion. It's trying to tell you something. So you have a conversation with it. Ask it what's going on, what it needs, what it's feeling.

And if it just says, Oh, I'm scared cause this looks familiar to another scenario that we had a number of years ago that was scary. We just breathe with it. We're reminded that it's okay. And you practice moving forward anyway. And in that way, fear can become a companion rather than an enemy.

It's something that can walk alongside you. And often when we do take that first step, once we get over that hurdle, the fear subsides, because it recognizes, okay, this wasn't as bad as I thought it was. The key takeaway though, is that fear is an emotion. It's an experience. While it can feel like it's creating a barrier for what we're trying to do, it's not an actual barrier.

It's just a sensation. So we can feel it. We can acknowledge it. We can hold space for it. And we can still move forward.

Thank you for your practice. Let's settle in for today's meditation.