DEALING WITH FEAR

People often talk about conquering fear. They want to banish fear or eliminate fear in an aggressive way. They pump themselves up mentally, slamming doors and pounding tables. They try to drown out fear by suppressing and denying it, and by being extra loud.

In the Tao, it is not about conquering anything. Fear is not intrinsically evil. It can be a healthy survival signal, an alarm that alerts us to danger. The best way to deal with fear is not to banish or eliminate, but to understand.

What do we fear? Is it the fear of the unknown? We can deal with it by learning and exploring. The more we find out, the less we fear. When we have sufficient understanding, this kind of fear disappears naturally.

Another type of fear is the fear of loss. We can deal with it by letting go of attachments. Everything comes and goes throughout our lifetime. Nothing really lasts and we cannot really own anything or anyone. Trying to grasp on too tightly will only lead to misery and suffering. When we relax and relinquish the attachment, the fear of loss also dissipates.

The Tao Today

Free yourself from fear. For every kind of fear you can experience, there is a wise way to deal with it that does not involve aggressive or suppression. With the Tao as your unlimited source of learning and abundance, you will soon discover that fear is nothing to fear.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin