Something about Fear

I recently finished reading Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, the tale of sixteen-year-old John Grady Cole's horseback journey into Mexico with aspirations of becoming a cowboy. In the face of danger, he repeats what his father told him: "Scared money can't win and a worried man can't love."

Fear is a helpful evolutionary development for keeping us alive. Fear is the natural human response to threat. But most of us are stuck in our fear response ALL. THE. TIME. Fearful of death, dying, pain, hurt, rejection, systemic oppression, getting left behind, financial instability, past trauma. Heavy shit.

Living in a constant state of fear means that nothing else we experience can be felt, heard, or processed. Our achievements, moments of deep love and appreciation, abundance and gratitude are often numbed by this overriding sense of fear.

I can't take away your fear. Hell, I can't even take away my own fear. But I have found that sitting with myself, acknowledging what's within my control and what's not, has been helpful. From there, we can move forward with a little more ease and feeling. McCarthy's quote stuck with me this week; I hope it encourages you to move forward boldly this week.