24 Feb There is no fear here and now

There is no fear of the present moment. Fear is a fixation on what we imagine will be a negative future or the recurrence of what we remember as a negative past. These are both mental phantoms and have no physical reality. We create and engaged with them to help us prepare for or avoid possibilities that ultimately may never happen. But instead of helping us, they can cripple us. We become less capable as our attention is distracted by these phantoms. Ironically if we didn’t have these fears we would cope with the situation just fine, thinking clearly and peacefully. This would not only help us get through it but would benefit our health as we would not suffer the stress that fear creates.

Danger, on the other hand, is very real and should not be confused with fear. We become aware of danger through the assessment of a situation based on facts and it can be planned for and avoided. Fear comes from our judgement, a personal opinion, and is not needed in our assessment of danger.

If we feel fear when driving we can assess situations for what they are in the moment. Notice when our mind turns to judgements, describing them as “bad” or “scary”. Differentiate between the assessment of danger and the negative layers our mind applies on top. Accept that these layers are not true characteristics of the situation, but rather our opinion of it. Remember that opinions can be changed.