Are You Afraid of the Future?

There seems to be so much to fear in the world today.

Fear of the pandemic.

Fear of the economy.

Fear of the election.

It all comes down to being afraid of the future.

As Franklin Roosevelt said, “let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself”

As you focus on fear, you create more fear. Fear is a multiplier in your feedback loop.

When you focus on what you fear, you align yourself with it.

If you are afraid someone might break into your house, what do you do? You install extra security. You set up surveillance cameras and monitor the activity going on around the house. You worry. The more you look for the possibility of danger, the more you see it.

People walking by the house will start to look suspicious to you. You might see someone driving by and wonder if they are casing the place. Your neighbors’ activity might even start to look suspect. What are they planning?

The more you look for something, the more of it you will see in your life.

Have you ever noticed when you get something new – like a car, suddenly, you start seeing more and more of the same vehicle on the road.

Being afraid is no fun, but you don’t do it because it’s fun. You do it because you have to. In your mind, your life may literally depend on you maintaining your vigilance and staying alert.

So, how can you break out of the loop of being afraid?

The first step is for you to want to stop being so afraid. You have to want to live your life with less fear and more hope. It needs to be a priority for you.

The next step is to learn to question yourself. That’s right. You have to start noticing when you think fearful thoughts. Then you need to stop believing yourself.

Stop believing yourself because you’ve convinced yourself that you are justified in being afraid. Now start questioning some of those beliefs. The hard part is they don’t seem like beliefs. They look like undeniable truths.

Remember, we all create our own truths, so you can change yours.

If you want to start moving away from fear, start by questioning what you are fearing. Why do you fear someone or something? Take the time to listen to your thinking and what you are feeling.

It’s not an easy process. It will take time. Now is a great time to start the change. With so much opportunity in the world to challenge what and how we think, this is your chance.

As we love to say, you can choose.