“You don’t know true fear until a poster falls down in the middle of the night.”
That funny, anonymous quote showing up around the Internet is actually very, very true. An unexpected noise in the darkness can quickly whip you into a terrified frenzy. While your mind immediately imagines an intruder or monsters from the last horror movie you saw, your body responds with a pounding heart, sweaty palms, weak knees and a knot in the stomach.
Your paralyzing fear can only be overcome when you turn on the light and spot the offending poster, now on the floor.
Facing your fears and replacing them with facts can work for you in every situation. It is the unknown we’re afraid of – that nebulous ‘something’ that becomes such a source of dread only when we don’t know exactly what it is. Confronting your fear – whether it’s a concern about a health opportunity, a relationship, your children or your career, for instance, is always the first step in clearing it.
“Although many different types of fears exist,” says psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, “they all boil down to one phobia: the fear of either losing control or being out of control. The good news is that you control the ‘on/off’ switch related to your fears. Because you turn it on with the internal dialogue that you create about a situation, you can turn it off by changing that same internal dialogue.”
Spiritual author and speaker Byron Katie guides people through their fears through a process she calls “The Work.” She asks people to consider four questions:
- Is it true? (Yes or no. If no, move to 3.)
- Can you absolutely know that it’s true? (Yes or no.)
- How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
- Who would you be without the thought?
Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, author of On Death and Dying, taught there are only two emotions – love and fear — and that we can’t feel both emotions simultaneously. When you honestly confront what you’ve imagined, what you’re projecting into the future, and what you need to shift in your thinking to come back into balance, you’ll be able to replace your fear with love.
Learn more about cultivating the energy of love in your life while you’re also learning how to cleanse your body and quiet your mind at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego and Austin, Texas. We can help you achieve your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual goals for optimal health. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org , and call us at (800) 993-4325 to make your reservation.
