Be Fearless?

It feels like life has been coming with an extra dose of fear lately, doesn't it?  So much uncharted territory.  So many decisions to make.  SO much uncertainty.  Ugh.  

I love the idea of living a fearless life.  I REALLY REALLY do.  “She lived a fearless life.”  It sounds so badass, doesn’t it?    I’ve always wanted to be that girl, to be seen that way.  Incidentally, I’ve also always wanted to be tall. Unfortunately, I’ve surrendered to the fact that neither are actually possible, for me, anyway. 

Anything that is new or challenging or uncertain inherently comes with an often overwhelming amount of fear.  Hell, lately most days just getting out of bed comes with fear.  But just like there’s no such thing as a painless life, there’s no such thing as a fearless one either.

The choice that presents itself is this:  Do we let fear hold us back or do we allow fear to propel us forward?   

The obvious answer is B.  We choose to show up, willing to take the next step forward even when we are afraid.  How do we do this?  Deny we are afraid?  Stuff the fear down?  Simply conquer fear?  Nope! 

The answer, my dear friend, is always LOVE. 

Fear is not to be conquered.  It is to be honored.  Acknowledged.  Accepted.  And, yes, Loved.  Why?  Because everything in us is there for a reason.  We are born WHOLE.  Everything is there to serve a purpose.  Denying our fear is like denying our love.  When we deny any part of ourselves, we deny all of ourselves.  Fear is part of us and will always be there to some degree.  So instead of pushing fear away, what if we turned towards fear and tried to understand its purpose?  What if we asked her why she is there?  Perhaps with awareness and presence, she tells us that by keeping us small and afraid she is also keeping us safe and protected.   You see, fear is the part of us that remembers pain.  She has seen the pain of life take us down to our knees on more than one occasion.  And she doesn’t want us to feel pain ever again.  She doesn't realize pain is part of the process.  So she lies to us so we stay small and the fear stays big.  She tells us we don't know what we are doing.  She tells us we aren't qualified. She tells us we aren't good enough.   

Knowing the intention and purpose of fear allows us to see her with a little more compassion.  It allows us to befriend her, to welcome, to love her because now we understand that even though her protective methods are less than desirable, they are well-intentioned.  Deep down, through practice, awareness and a willingness to get quiet and still, we remember this Truth. 

The Truth that it is always through infinite, boundless LOVE that we can overcome the pain of life and the force of fear.  That we can turn towards fear, hold her hand, thank her for service and show her there is a better way.  Instead of staying small and afraid, we can show her that through big, brave love we can hold our whole selves up and overcome ANY obstacle.  We can walk forward on our path, knowing that whatever pain or promise the future holds, we have already been and always will be safe and protected by this expansive Spirit of Love. 

So perhaps instead of striving to be fearless, strive to remember:  

We are safe. 
We are held. 
We are supported.
We are protected.  
We are loved. 
We are LOVE.  

Today and all the days to follow...Don't be fearless.  Be LOVE. 

Keep the fear small and the love BIG.