Everyone has experienced fear. We know exactly what it feels like, whether it is in the form of anxiety or an extreme terror. But we rarely if ever stop to ask questions about our fears. We have a lot to learn from fear, and asking questions of it will lead us to some interesting observations that can be amazingly helpful. And first and foremost is the that fear is never about the here and now.



It's true. Fear is always about the future. Without a future, there can be no fear. Fear is the feeling we have when we are anticipating something bad happening. Our minds conjure up a possible future event, and then our nervous system reacts to these thoughts by stimulating our bodies in that familiar group of sensations we call fear. It really is as simple as that.

By knowing that fear is always about the future, we can use this simple fact to start to undo it and become free of it for good. If you will notice, you are not living in the future. Or the past. You are living right now. Here, in this spot and at this moment. And be honest, can you ever know what is actually going to happen in the future? Can you know what will happen tomorrow or next week? No, you can't. And that is how you begin to undo fear. You recognize that it is about a future that you can never know. This recognition is the beginning of your freedom.

Let's look at an example. Suppose you are like many people and are worried about your finances. The grocery bill is getting larger each month, gas prices are up, but you are not earning any more money. You start to feel a nagging worry, a sense of anxiety, a fear about what will happen a year from now. "Will I run out of money?" you ask yourself.

To gain your freedom from this fear, begin by noticing what is here right now. Do you have plenty of food to eat? Do you have gas for the car? A job? Some savings? Take a brief look at the reality of your life now. Not a year from now. Now.

Then, ask yourself, "Do I know what the future will be like? Can I honestly say I know?" Of course not. You can never know. Then allow that realization to sink into your system. Let it settle into your body.

The first thing you will notice from doing a simple process like this one is that you feel lighter, freer, more open. The fear has lifted some (or completely vanished). You feel more alive and capable of dealing with life and it's situations.

The second thing you notice is that your creativity and intuition increase exponentially. Your ability to solve problems improves, and your sense of the best solution grows more accurate. If your concerns were about money, you start to see interesting ways you can save money. You gain a new insight into how to earn more, get a raise at your current job, or find better employment.

Freeing yourself from fear is both simple to do and beneficial. Plus, you feel good, too. While there are many other techniques that can help you find lasting freedom, this simple one of recognizing the here and now will work wonders.