Facing Fear: The Power of Information, Education, & Unity
by LaTaYea
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I spent about 6 years immersing myself in attending various 12-Step programs, and discovered there a tremendous power for healing and hope in people’s lives. There is no “magic” to what the 12 Steps offer…the steps themselves are basic guiding principles that anyone could apply to life, to live more sanely and serenely. The “power” found in these programs, I believe, comes from the unity and educating power of the group dynamics. On a more spiritual note, I’d add that although the 12-Step programs have no religious affiliations and are open to people of all faiths or none, it is true as stated in Christian doctrines, “Where two or three gather together, there am I (God) also.” There is a seeming supernatural power in uniting—whether dealing with alcoholism or any other problem or fear.I experienced in these wonderful 12-Step groups much personal healing and received many insights into life and the human condition, which I discovered we ALL have in common. What a relief…to discover “I’m not the only one” who feels or thinks or reacts a certain way! People shared from their hearts, with laughter, tears, and stories of struggles and triumphs, and—similar to the power of confession in Catholicism—their honest and deep sharings seemed to create release from whatever bonds held them, and myself. Over time, I and many others experienced a new-found hope and faith and gained courage to tackle what formerly seemed insurmountable and kept us trapped in fears.
I have spent much of my 40 years in this life carrying around a lot of fear—fear of taking chances, fear of change, fear of not having “enough,” fear of being rejected and not approved of, fear of not having what I “want” in life, fear of failure, fear of abandonment, fear of not being loved by those whose love I sought, and fear of being hurt, and on and on.
I think most humans fear something, if not perhaps lots of things. Many of us well know the truth that “fear can cripple you.” So how do we overcome our fears? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “He [or she] has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.” So, let’s examine what fear really is (and isn’t).
Some definitions of fear include “a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger;” “a state or condition marked by this feeling: living in fear;” “a feeling of disquiet or apprehension;” “a reason for dread or apprehension.”
There’s a saying in the 12 Steps based on the spelling of the word “F.E.A.R.” meaning
“False Evidence Appearing Real.” That’s an interesting spin… false evidence appearing real. How often have we worried ourselves sick over something, afraid it would happen or was true, only to later find there literally was nothing to worry about? Additionally, The URANTIA Book states on page 556, “Few persons live up to the faith which they really have. Unreasoned fear is a master intellectual fraud practiced upon the evolving mortal soul.” Hmmm…”unreasoned fear,” now what might that be? So often much of what we fear—from the time we’re little and just terrified of the monster we’re sure lives in the closet—is not real, or realistic.
One of the best ways I’ve learned to combat my fears—reasoned or unreasoned—is to educate myself. Today, we are so blessed to have the Internet, a literal network of information, worldwide. You can learn something about almost anything. And education—arming ourselves with facts and knowledge—can often help us paint a much more realistic picture of whatever we’re fearful of. From a fear of spiders or snakes to a fear of cancer or other diseases, educating ourselves can aid in taking appropriate precautions (for some things we should truly be cautious about at whatever level possible) and simultaneously dispel our erroneous and unfounded beliefs in relation to the subject.
Another helpful tool in battling our fears is finding a group that provides help—be it a more formal “support group” of some kind regarding a particular topic, or just a small core group of friends and/or family members—with whom you can honestly, openly, and genuinely connect and exchange ideas and information. It’s a tremendous way to reduce fears. So often we humans share similar fears and find solace in the sharing of them, leading to the realization these fears are just “false evidence appearing real.” Suddenly the sting comes out of our fears, and we find hope and encouragement in those souls who’ve gone before us on the paths of life and successfully confronted their own fears. Edmund Burke, an eighteenth-century Irish philosopher and statesman said, “No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” In unity an exponential power is tapped, somehow, that helps us to overcome our fears and take appropriate actions to assist ourselves and others.
The last decade or so has seen a great resurgence in the popularity of angels…they’re found on calendars, bookmarks, whole stores in fact are dedicated to angels and the phenomena of their presence in our lives. My personal take on this angelic resurgence is the longing in our lives for something supernatural, a “power greater than ourselves,” that can save us from whatever we fear. It’s comforting to rest in the hope of such benevolent angelic spirits, and it gives us courage to try something new and reach beyond our comfort zones with the faith that we’ll receive special help to succeed.
The belief in angels—especially a personal Guardian Angel—is rooted in truth, for there are such wonderful beings, and they do get assignments to protect and enlighten the humans in their watchcare. Our trust in these unseen friends gives us hope because it opens a window when all the doors seem locked tight with no way out. And surely, if there are angels, they come from somewhere, or should I say, someone?
I believe that someone is God, and above and beyond the supernatural help of angels we can have faith in God—in His truly divine love for us, and His omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent abilities to uphold and protect us—and that faith can dispel any fear. Sometimes it’s a matter of readjusting our mindsets, learning to place value on things of eternal value, things of the more spiritual realms, and not be so caught up in the temporal aspects of everyday life on this world. For truly, there are worlds and destinies that reach far beyond this present life. I don’t believe God wants us to be afraid of the future, nor the present, for “with Him, all things are possible!”
Many older people, when asked to reflect back on their life, commonly say they most regret living too safely, that they wished they would have taken more chances and lived more richly and deeply, despite the bumps and bruises they might have encountered in facing some of their fears and overcoming them. There’s another slogan in the 12- Step programs that says, “If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.” So why not do something NEW & DIFFERENT? Even if it turns out not to be the very best, you’ll at least gain experience and perhaps a little wisdom for future obstacles. And best of all you’ll be overcoming some of your fears, breaking out of those limiting boxes we can all keep ourselves in at times, and learning new values.
What we place personal value on is the framework from which we view the world. So let’s begin to educate and change our minds, in order to face our fears. On page 1098 The URANTIA Book tells a wonderful story about mind-expansion: “In the mind’s eye conjure up a picture of one of your primitive ancestors of cave-dwelling times—a short, misshapen, filthy, snarling hulk of a man standing, legs spread, club upraised, breathing hate and animosity as he looks fiercely just ahead. Such a picture hardly depicts the divine dignity of man. But allow us to enlarge the picture. In front of this animated human crouches a saber-toothed tiger. Behind him, a woman and two children. Immediately you recognize that such a picture stands for the beginnings of much that is fine and noble in the human race, but the man is the same in both pictures. Only in the second sketch you are favored with a widened horizon. You therein discern the motivation of this evolving mortal. His attitude becomes praiseworthy because you understand him. If you could only fathom the motives of your associates, how much better you would understand them. If you could only know your fellows, you would eventually fall in love with them.”
With that in mind, let’s consider, for example, the current “war in Iraq” and the whole “terrorism” issue. If we can change our image of Iraqis from “the enemy” to realizing they are families, with moms and dads and kids and grandparents and best friends and lovers who all have hopes and dreams and wishes—just like us—we can begin to respond with compassion and understanding, not fear. And if we can educate ourselves, really dig deep and find out who and what is behind what’s going on there, we may surprise ourselves as to how our views begin to reshape themselves. And that’s just one example out of a zillion.
Pretty much everyone’s afraid of something, so in one hand take the hand of an angel and reach for God’s hand with your other. Then, taking a leap of faith, strive for unity with your human brothers and sisters and educate yourself all along the path. I think you’ll find your fears fading away.