What Is Fear?

Fear is the emotional response to a perceived threat, real or imagined. It is one of our basic innate emotions. Fear is associated with the actions of escape or avoidance.

In the book, "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" by Charles Darwin, he gives an excellent and vivid description of fear.

Fear is often preceded by astonishment, and is so far akin to it, that both lead to the senses of sight and hearing being instantly aroused. In both cases the eyes and mouth are widely opened, and the eyebrows raised. The frightened man at first stands like a statue motionless and breathless, or crouches down as if instinctively to escape observation. The heart beats quickly and violently, so that it palpitates or knocks against the ribs... That the skin is much affected under the sense of great fear, we see in the marvelous manner in which perspiration immediately exudes from it... The hairs also on the skin stand erect; and the superficial muscles shiver. In connection with the disturbed action of the heart, the breathing is hurried. The salivary glands act imperfectly; the mouth becomes dry, and is often opened and shut.

Fear is a normal response to protect us from danger and if we could not feel it, we would not be able to protect ourselves. Our life experiences alter how we feel and perceive fears in our lives. All too often, people who have been traumatized are triggered by current experiences that have no basis in real dangers. The fear then becomes a connection to an event that is not real in the moment but is perceived by that person.

The parts of the brain that are involved in the fear response include the amygdala which stores emotional memories including fear memories, the hippocampus which puts memories and experience in context to the stimuli being faced, the thalamus which decides where to send incoming data that it receives and the hypothalamus which is responsible for the fight or flight response.

Many times, we hear people tell us or others to not be afraid and portray fear to be something that is bad or negative. All emotions are part of our mind and body for a reason whether they are from real or perceived sources. Our job should not be to discount, abhor, or condemn these emotions. Instead our job should be to embrace all of our emotions whether we feel they are positive or negative and fully become aware of how they impact our mind, our body and our personal growth.

Too often, our society tries to control others and bring others in line with what we feel is the proper way to look at some aspect of life. The use of fear is one of the main ways that this is done and all you have to do is look around yourself in a day, and you can see evidence of this. From the government and their policies, to politics, schools, society norms, religious institutions and even down into the family practices and norms. Fear is often used as a weapon against others. Even the news media is extremely skilled at using fear to get us to tune into the news programs.

Take a step back though and consider just how valuable fear is to our lives. It helps protect us and keep us from doing harmful things to ourselves and others. If we embrace it and we go into the fear, our lives become much more rich and full and alive. Of course, if we constantly overwhelm ourselves with fear from every direction, than fear becomes a hindrance to our lives.

Fear holds great power and energy and if we push it down in our lives and try to distance ourselves from it, than it will rob us of so much. Fear is potential energy that can be used to create a chair reaction of events into further awareness and potential benefit. We can learn so much from it and use it to move us forward into situations that benefit our lives and our growth.

Often we are so afraid of fear and we are so overwhelmed in life that we can not deal with fear. We find ways to avoid it and run from it while it finds ways to get out attention. We may think we are avoiding it or just not thinking about fear but in the end, we are only fooling ourselves. If we continue to fool ourselves, our fears will get our attention and they will force us to deal with them. The sooner we begin to listen to our fears and embrace them, the better off we will be.



*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

David And Goliath Meet Fear

For most of my life, fear has been one of my driving forces in all that I do, the decisions that I make and the things that I choose. Fear is prevalent. It is everywhere and in everything and is often a part of us. However, the thing I'm learning in life is just that I can stand up and face the fear head on, and then let it go.

In my early days of therapy, I would remember my therapist asking me to "name" the fear that was coming up and then we would talk through what is the worst thing that could happen. Once we did that, we would talk about what I could do if that happened. By doing this, I soon found out that most of my fears were just not as big and powerful as I thought they were. Yet, when you are looking at them face to face, they are often gigantic monsters.

Do you remember the bible story of David and Goliath? Where David took his little slingshot and a pebble and brought down the giant? Just think of fears in that way. They seem like they are bigger and more empowering than us but all we need to do is use our little pebble of courage and determination to take them on. Once we decide to do this and let go of the fear that holds us, the giant falls to the ground.

Fear though can show up in so many ways and often we do not recognize it. From the speeches of politicians, to the talking loud mouths of pundits on TV and the media doing their daily news reports, it is all filled with fear. Even the weather forecasts these days are fear based. Take a moment and think about this. When you turn on the TV or whatever it is that you're listening to, you hear them talking about some issue, some concern or topic. And if you take a moment to look at that and see the "fear" behind what is being discussed, how does that impact you? For example, let's say we turn on the TV and they are talking about some terrorist plot that is being cooked up but they do not have concrete details, just that it might involve a football stadium or some other public place. What's your reaction? Do you get a twinge of unease within your body that maybe the football game you are going to could be the possible target of the terrorists? Most likely you do at some level. Well, guess what - the media has been successful in instilling fear within you that you didn't have before you watched or listened to the program. I'm not saying you need to hide your head in the sand and be oblivious to what is happening in our world, but I am urging you to realize that most of the stuff is fear based. And if you don't believe me, put on your objective glasses and pay attention to what it is that you take in to your eyes and ears from the media and talking pundits in a day. Evaluate it and look at it. Don't just accept it.

Another source of fear is in the medical world of health or what we perceive health is. All of us have been through a moment where either our self or our loved ones run up against a physical condition. What do we do first? Please be honest here. Let me repeat this. What do we do first? We usually try to find something we can take to alleviate the pain, the condition or situation. If we have nothing that works, than we head to the doctor. We may demand tests or medications or procedures to "cure" us of this condition. But if you take a moment and look within all that's going on, fear is alive and well. Fear feeds upon us and we feed upon fear. It fuels all kinds of biological conditions and most of us are oblivious that this is going on. Yes, sometimes a doctor is needed to treat things. That's not the point I am trying to make here. The point is, when we come up against a biological condition in our bodies, let us first look within ourselves as to the cause instead of going into the fear that will only make things worse. If you do this, everything will be more different than you can imagine.

Fear can also show up as anger where someone is so angry and they try to bite everyone's head off at every chance. They rule with control and they belittle anyone that tries to alter what is going on. They can be loud and boisterous making sure that everyone hears them or they can talk a mile a minute dominating every conversation. In the end though, it boils down to the fear these people face and by using these different behaviors, it adds a layer of protection between them and the outside world. After all, if the fears of a person are great, it can be to much to connect with anyone around them in a meaningful and deep way.

Fear often has a way of keeping us from truly walking the path that we so deserve and healing from those moments in life that were very difficult. It is much easier to paste a fake smile on our face and try to convince the world around us that we have 'moved on' from all that we may have experienced. I know this is true because I've spent a lifetime doing it. All of these things get locked up in the body. They are somatically a part of us just as is any body part is a part of us. While we try to separate the two, fear and somatic memory components are as much us as we are them. And while you're trying to convince the world around you that you have moved on, deep down within yourself (if you let yourself go there), you know that this isn't true. I completely understand just how difficult it is to stand up and grasp fear in your hands. It seems to be much easier to run away from it as fast and hard as you can but in the end, fear will find you out.

There are so many ways fear shows up and if we begin to keep an eye out for it, we'll start to see it. Fear is an energy drain and it robs us of so much in life. When fear builds up to a high level in our lives, we become overwhelmed and we either deal with it or it deals with us. Yes, sometimes we can go for a long time and it seems like everything is fine but deep down, our body is hurting and getting ready to explode like a volcano. We'll see this through aches and pains, weight issues, medical conditions, depression, anxiety and so on and so forth. These conditions are a result of something in our body that needs to be healed and something that we are hanging on to. It is the direct result of fear showing up and controlling our lives.

Waving a magic wand to get rid of it would be nice but there is no such thing. I get messages all the time about "products" or "healing methods" that allow you to bypass the fear. I have heard this so many times that I cannot even keep track of it. Yet, each person, healing method or product is convinced that something they offer is the key to your well being. Unfortunately, there is no way around fear. The only way to do it is to go head first into it and take back the power it has robbed from your body. You can create the illusion for yourself that method or product x works but if you're really and truly honest with yourself, you'll see the fear hiding deep in the shadows.

Again, I know it isn't easy to do this but once you take that pebble and put it in your slingshot, you too can drop the giant, Goliath, to the ground. It may not be easy nor as instant as we are accustomed to, but it will be life changing and long lasting. That which you can feel in your body and connect with is where healing comes from. It does not come from methods, procedures and products. The methods and procedures that have you totally connected with your mind and body that allow you to go into the fear - now that's the way to heal!

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

But Come Here Fear

These days, my heart goes out to every human.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in the fears that are a part of everything we do.  It is so insidious that we don't even see it.

That's the tricky part about fear.  It blinds you to its existence while taking over everything you think, do, say, and how you act.  Most of the time you're not aware of it, even if you know it exists.

Fear is a good thing when being chased by a tiger in the jungle.  Fear is a good thing at night when you're being stalked.  Fear of failing can be good as well as many other fears.  However, fear is meant as a temporary moment, not a life long relationship.

Unfortunately, far too many in our world have experienced a not so safe childhood.  We've either gone through trauma and abuse, witnessed domestic violence in our homes, suffered at the hands of a bully, or gone through other things.  They all produce fear that resides within us and alters who we truly are.

Maybe it's a parent that does not instill a sense of safety in you as a child.  Maybe you're a witness to horrific acts of violence or bombs dropping.  Maybe you saw or were in a car accident as a child and so your sense of safety was taken away.

There are many experiences in life that leave us feeling unsafe.  In these current days we are in, fear is getting pushed to the limit, whether it is on the news we consume or in social media or just in the water-cooler talk among friends.  It is everywhere.

Even if you do like we do and turn the news off and try to mute all the political stuff of the day, you can still feel fear.  It is everywhere.  It permeates every bit and piece of our society these days and that is so sad.  My heart breaks when I see it.

These days, you can barely say anything or write anything that doesn't invoke fear's response into a statement that is twisted from your intent.  Fear keeps us blind to this practice.  Fear does not allow us to see things in clarity and with the awareness and consciousness we think we have.

I don't think numbing and disconnecting completely from the fears that are alive is necessarily the right course of action.  However, I believe that if you're watching the news and engaged in the fear rhetoric of the day, you're harming yourself and the world.

You have to make the choices for yourself about what you let into your life and what you feast on in a day.  You have to be willing to open your eyes as far open as you can, so you can see what fear has done to you.  It is not easy to do this.  It goes against every fiber and ounce of energy fear can muster up, but in order to reclaim your life, you have to take back the power from fear.

I know from experience that fear waits in the tall grass to pounce upon you in every moment.  It takes strength and courage to stand up to fear.

In the words of Joy Harjo from her "Fear Poem" come these are two lines that I just love.

Oh you have choked me, but I gave you the leash.
But come here, fear. I am alive and you are so afraid of dying. - Joy Harjo 

May we stop allowing fear to choke us, by not giving it the leash so easily.  May we remember to tell fear that we are alive and it is so afraid of dying. 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Fear is Real

Fear is a real part of our life. In many ways, if we learn how to embrace the fears that are present in our everyday life, we can bring about tremendous growth and awareness for our self. For all too long in my life, fear ruled my every moment and I ran from things that were more of an illusion than a reality. As I learn to embrace that which comes from the struggle within me, I become more conscious and aware of all that I can be.

In our world, fear is alive and well. So many people have been wounded in life by various events and these events are holding an illusion over them that fear is the norm. We see it by what is shown on TV and talked about in the news. The pundits and talk show hosts enlarge the concept of fear to draw people into their shows, thus improving ratings and advertiser dollars.

We also see fear as being a strong motivator behind the ego of politics, power and control. If each of us would stop and open our eyes for just a moment, we would be shocked at what is truly going on. However, with the mass of our population living in fear, it is hard to identify how are minds are filtering out that which is before us.

Fear even shows up in our every day life when it comes to the way we deal with others and the way we care for our children. Even our body pains and the way we take care of ourselves physically are so engulfed in the foundation of fear. Health care is more about running from or trying to mask the pain (get rid of the pain or condition) than it is about going into fear and reclaiming that which is within us. Yet, we as a society are so locked into the power of fear that we struggle to even believe this is a remote possibility.

Our lives are touched in many ways by fear and the more we succumb to its power, the more we are holding ourselves back from finding our true potential. Society and civilization require each of us to step up and become all that we were meant to be but the more we walk hand in hand with fear, the more we bring darkness to all those we meet.

My attempt of writing about fear isn't to bring about more fear within each of us. It is instead a way for me to help others understand just how prevalent fear is in our lives and the power it holds over us. I have fought all my life to overcome so many fears I grew up with that I realize first hand just how difficult it is to not let fear rule my life. My hope is that everyone I meet will begin to understand a little more just how fear has a hold of our species and will work to begin recognizing it. Fear can be a powerful motivating agent of change in our lives or it can take us down. May we have the courage to open our eyes and see fear for what it truly is in our life and in the world.

Fear is...

• Being afraid of the unknown
• Something that feels real but may not be
• Expectation that something around you is bad
• Not being fully aware of what reality truly is
• the absence of fact that can be proved
• Illusion of reality
• Escape from that which we feel and know
• Larger than life
• When we find ourselves lacking in self confidence
• Arises from our wounded self
• Ignorance
• Following the masses
• Unjustified but seemingly real situations
• Distortion of what is truly present
• Seeing an image that is a twisting of the facts
• Facts that do not add up while logic is thrown aside
• Listening to the illusion of what others say
• Not following your own convictions
• Not being connected to your own body
• Being unable to recognize when it is present
• closing the door to truth and knowledge
• Not being open to awareness and growth
• Thinking that you have all the answers

(c) 11/12/10 by Don Shetterly - Use by permission only

Guilty By Fear

I know, they probably thought they were doing something good, but in all honesty, the callers in the following article showed little respect for their fellow human.

Article referenced is African-American man stopped by Michigan cop for walking with his hands in his pockets.  Hopefully you can read the whole story or view the video on YouTube of this situation. 


It doesn't take much these days for someone to call the cops.  While that may be a good thing if you see someone doing something, just because it is out of fear and suspicion, its not always a good thing.  Yes, most of this paranoia is because of pure and unadulterated fear.

We've become a society that doesn't trust our fellow humans.  We arm ourselves because the bad guys are out there and were the good guys.  We put down anyone that doesn't agree that more guns are good.  We've become a society that sees fear lurking at every corner and requires us to record everything around us.

Fearing The Fear

Written By Don Shetterly

If you've read much on my blog, you'll see that this subject has been one of my most challenging experiences in my life.  Fearing the fear consumed my life at one time, but over the years and through my healing, I've learned more how to deal with fear.


I am not going to sit here and write that fear is an easy thing for me to overcome.  I'm not going to give you some platitude or meme that says you can wave a magic wand and be in control of fear.  Those things are not helpful to healing and our growth.  They are stumbling blocks if we subscribe to them.

When I was in a healing session the other day, I started to notice the little things where fear would come on strong in me.  In these Unified Therapy healing sessions, we are encouraged to bring the fear up, not shove it down or hide from it or numb it.  It is the time to bring it up.

The "oh no" mode...

For me that day, the office air conditioning kicking on sent the fear going sky high.  It wasn't easy, and at first, I could notice my breath going into fear mode.  I could feel my body begin to tense up.  I could see that my mind was starting to go into the "oh no" mode.  It felt like everything was going to come crashing down on me and that my life at that moment would come to an end.

Fearing the fear was where I was in that particular moment.  There are reasons that all of this was coming up, but that detail is for another blog post.  Just recognizing how strong the fear was getting and how much was coming at me, my body went into the defensive mode of survival.

In a Unified Therapy healing session, you don't stay in this moment.  You are taken through it by Dr. Canali gently guiding you to feel in your body, sense what is going on, and remind yourself that it is fear, not the end of the world.

As you go in and begin to connect with the fear in your body, there are often emotions or physical sensations that appear as they did for me that day.  The anger and pain surfaced.  The emotions of sadness and grief showed up.  The point of not being able to stop what had happened to me as a kid was the dynamite ready to ignite.

In this session, I also did one more thing, and that was telling myself that what happened to me many years ago is not happening now.  Dr. Canali, of course, was coaching me through this, but just that realization in that particular moment was a big one for me.  It helped me to connect reality with fear.  It helped me to see that I feared the fear, but that the current reality was different.

Yes, there is a mental exercise in stopping how you deal with fear, but this approach that is so healing and empowering is body centered.  If I didn't deal with what was going on in my body, it would be nothing more than platitudes about how to treat fear.

Most of the time in healing, we deal with fear from an intellectual mind-centered level.  However, fear resides in the body, and if you fail to go in and touch the depths of it within the cells, you're only working with half the healing potential.

The further you can go in and feel it within the body, the more you will supercharge your healing.  Healing from the core of your cells in the body is lasting and life changing.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Fear On Autopilot

I see this subject talked about online so much, but yet few too many people fully understand it.  Even,  I consider myself a life long learner when it comes to the subject of fear.  Yet, there is so much more I need to learn to fully understand fear.

We are on autopilot more than we realize with fear.

Fear is insidious.

Fear is clever and crafty.

Fear hides from our awareness and view. 

We may think we see fear and we may connect with some of our fears, but far too much of it goes hidden from our view.  It keeps us blind to that which we cannot see and it keeps us numb and disconnected.

So if fear is on autopilot in our lives, how do we notice it?  How do we go in and deal with it?  How do we become aware of it?

For if you're not aware of something, it is pretty difficult to work on it.  If you're not aware of its existence in your life, why would you even be concerned?

Through much of the deep trauma healing work I've done with Dr. Paul Canali, we've come up on the fear that I often don't realize is there.  It is just too easy to miss it and often like I said, "fear keeps us blind".  Yet, fear controls so much of our lives.

One of the first things we do on the table in a Unified Therapy healing session with Dr. Canali is we are asked to "sense what is going on in our body".  Now, that may sound stupid and simple, but believe me, most of the time we as humans walk our days not fully sensing and feeling - even if we think we do.

When you stop and start to allow your mind to sense, you see so much that you didn't see moments earlier.  Generally, fear will be the next thing you sense, because it wants you to keep your eyes closed to the deeper truths of your life and your own awareness and consciousness.

When you come up on that fear you start to connect with, it almost feels like a gigantic mountain that you can't move.  If you can go into that fear, then you begin to take back its power and see just how much it is physically robbing from you.  Often times, it means doing this with a trusted healer, friend, or therapist that knows how to walk through the fires with you.

If you allow yourself to go through this process of feeling and sensing which leads to discovery, you'll be more amazed at just how much fear takes your life on autopilot without you knowing it is there.  Remember, fear is insidious.  It keeps us blind to that which would take its power away.

The thing is, this is not just a mental exercise.  Yes, you can attempt to program your mind to numb and disconnect from fear, but it only burrows deeper within your mind and body.  It is only when you go in and look at it face to face that you begin the process of reclaiming the power it has stolen from you.

I don't write these things as a mental concept that is unproven.  I write them from my own experiences of healing from trauma.  We are just so alseep in this world and not aware of as much as we think we are.

We have our fears being on autopilot to thank for that.  However, if we choose too, we can go in and take our life back.  It just begins with stopping to sense and feel in our body.

But come here fear.... 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Fear Is The Weapon Of Control

Fear is alive and rampant in our society and every day life. Most of us go through life, not even recognizing just how intimately involved we are with fear. It is as if we are having a secret affair with fear, yet no one including our self knows about it.

Where does fear show up? There are so many ways that it is hard to list them all. However, let me start with some of the top ones that I see displayed throughout our society.


The Government
The government which is by the people, for the people and of the people or namely, each one of us, is one of the greatest sources of fear. Through our "boogieman" that has been created, we are scared into complacency. Since our government has the truth and information that we are all led to believe in, we succumb to the fear that the "boogieman" is around the corner, hiding and waiting to attack us. One could argue that this is truly the case but just as I want to believe that, I so remember the drills in elementary school of getting under the desk in case the communists came and bombed us. Of course, I never did know what a communist was but I was taught to be very afraid of it. Today, we have replaced the communists with other "boogieman" as fear is the weapon of control.



The Media
One of the biggest purveyors of fear is the media. They have this down to a science. The stories are about the most sensationalized events. Often, they talk about the what if scenarios and the calamity that would follow if a fictionalized event unfolded. Day in and day out, the media does this with graphic images that captivate our brain and seize every logical thought we hold. The repetition of these stories of calamity adds to the imprint of fears that we live with in our day. In fact, the fears that are reported begin to feed off of one another until they take on a life of their own. Again, fear is the weapon of control.


The Church
While I realize many people follow the tenants of church, at the heart of religious institutions, fear is used to control the masses. The fear of dying and spending an eternity in a lake of fiery hell is a strong motivation for people to donate to the church, follow without question what they say or hold the church and its leaders up on pedestals. I realize that many people who go to church and attend religious institutions claim to think logically for themselves but in many ways, they are only fooling themselves. If you are an observer, you will see quickly how much fear rules the lives of the church followers. Of course, this does not just stop with the church but it has permeated the new age practices of the day. Fear is the weapon of control in the church.


The Economic Markets
In our day and age where the economy and the markets have taken a beating, we are taught that if we don't do our part and spend our money, the economic conditions of this country will decline. I am still mesmerized by the movie, I Am, where the person was demonstrating how the Stock Markets were created as if they were a human entity. When in fact, we as humans created this system and we control it. Yet, we live in fear of this system as it appears to control each one of us, whether we invest or we don't invest our money. As I go around a city on trash day, or to the thrift stores, or even view the stuff being given away online, I see the evidence of what consumerism does to us as a people. We have so much stuff and we are so attracted to our stuff that we are losing sight of what really matters. The fear of the economy has attacked us and I don't believe it is for the best. Again, fear is the weapon of control to keep us spending more so that the collective "we" don't let the economy crumble!


The Medical Establishment
One of the greatest weapons of fear in the medical establishment is that the medical establishment holds all the answers to our health. What happens when you get a cold or get sick, you run to the medicine cabinet or the pharmacy or health care provider and get something to take, to get rid of what it is that you have. Unfortunately, many things that make us sick are a result of stress, overworking and past traumas that have went unresolved. Yet, we don't stop and take an inventory of our life or see what may be linked to these moments. All we do is run to someone or something to relieve us from what we fear most, our health. Today, there are drugs and procedures and practices for everything that promise to make you better. The sad part is, unless we go in and do what we need to for our body, all the health care practices in the world will not make us well. They will just mask the underlying problem until something else comes along and gets our attention.

I could go on and on about the fears that permeate every part of our society. They are the weapons of control and if we don't begin to become aware of them, they will be our biggest enemies. It does not mean we have to throw everything away that we have come to know and believe in our lives. However, if we do not evolve and grow in awareness of reality, than none of it will matter any longer. If we continue on the path we are on, we will succumb to the fears and it will no longer be just a weapon of control. It will be one and the same.


Further Reading:
1) Fear Not (Blog Post Mar 26, 2011)
2) The Fear Of The Climb (Blog Post Sep 28, 2010)



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Interview With Fear

Something I once wrote for the Voices organization that was published in their newsletter, The Chorus. Voices is no longer in existence but at the time it was a valuable organization for survivors of child abuse. It is a cute writing but is packed with a lot of great insight.




INTERVIEW WITH FEAR
(c) 1998 by Don Shetterly

Reporter's note: It was very difficult to catch up with Fear. Every time we almost got Fear to say yes to an interview, he would disappear on us and it would take us weeks to catch up with him again. So, while we have him sitting in the room, we have taken measures to protect him.

REPORTER
Good afternoon Fear. It is nice to finally get a chance to talk with you.

FEAR
Uh, well I guess but you know, I can't stay too long….

REPORTER
We wont take very much of your time. Are you feeling much more relaxed now than you were earlier?

FEAR
A little bit. It is just hard for me to relax and talk to you. If I get to know someone a little than it is no problem but this is really scary.

REPORTER
You are doing fine Fear and if you need to take a break at any time, just let me know. I notice you have a teddy bear with you. Can you explain the significance of this?

FEAR
Well many people may see it as a childish thing and not something for someone that's in their 30's. And really I don't take it every where I go because someone may laugh at me. It's more of a private thing. Since I never was allowed to be a child when I was younger, I am now trying to give myself a chance to be a kid and let the child part of myself grow and mature. The teddy bear is one way of doing this. Plus, it also makes me feel safe and secure. Whenever I need comfort, I just reach for my teddy bear and hold it close to myself.

REPORTER
Now, if I am being to rough with this question, please let me know. As we have been trying to catch up with you, you have become very good at disappearing on us. Why is that?

FEAR
Man, you really go to the heart of the interview, don't you! I mean, I really wasn't trying to disappear, I just had things to do!

REPORTER
But, you never would return our calls after you agreed to do the interview.

FEAR
Well uh, I was, uh,,,, okay, you got me! I just don't like being asked questions and being put on the spot. It makes me nervous to talk to other people and I know that what I say is going to make someone mad at me. I mean some people just don't like to hear things that I say and if they get mad, guess who they will take it out on. There is no reason for me to put myself in that situation.

REPORTER
Is that why you requested the protection around here today and the seclusion?

FEAR
Yes, I really don't want to leave here and get the crap pounded out of me!

REPORTER
I think you are safe here. How do you show up when you get around people?

FEAR
There are many things that people do. Like being very quiet, sitting off in a corner, being all alone, scared to leave their house, shy, withdrawn. Sometimes they will get very loud and boisterous to kind of protect themselves. I have seen some people go around trying to pick fights with other people and yelling at others just to protect themselves from me. Even fathers will sometimes yell at their kids for no reason but to protect themselves.

REPORTER
So poor little innocent kids take the brunt of you with their fathers?

FEAR
Yeah, I am not proud of that and I wish people wouldn't do this. I mean it is one thing to protect yourself but taking me out on other people, I just can't stand by and let this go on.

REPORTER
But isn't a father justified in getting upset with his children? I mean that is part of normal discipline, isn't it?

FEAR
What you're talking about is different than what I am talking about. Getting upset at your children for something they have truly done wrong or disciplining them with love is not the same as dragging me into the picture. When people drag me into the picture, they are usually insecure about themselves and feel they are inadequate. The only way for them to hide this is to put me out in front of them.

REPORTER
You also mentioned being withdrawn and alone, being shy and not wanting to leave the house. Can you explain these more?

FEAR
Well I can sometimes overwhelm people so much that they will just not be themselves. They use me to keep themselves in a very safe and secure place but they also keep themselves very lonely. Most of the time these same people have so much to offer but they use me to keep from dealing with reality.

REPORTER
So are you saying that you are bad for people to have around?

FEAR
Yes and No! Having me in your life can guard you against awful things that may happen to you and protect you from potential hurt inflicted by others. I can also have a positive impact on your life because I can help you to take risks in life in a calculated way. Some people will just go out and take unnecessary risks but I help them think through these things.

REPORTER
Okay, so what is so bad about you being around?

FEAR
Well some people try and just use me to deal with life. They get very jealous of me and make me work many overtime hours. It really is draining on me and in the end it doesn't do these people much good. These people will blame me for everything in life while hiding that they even know me. It's like they become so dependent upon me that you can't tell them apart from me.

REPORTER
Some say that you and Anger work together as a team. Is this true?

FEAR
NO! I am by myself and I don't work with anyone else. I think what they are referring to is when they try and keep me around all for themselves. Then, when I am not enough to protect them, they start looking for Anger to help them out. I do not make any calls to Anger for them and I don't even suggest they talk to Anger. They just do it because they think I am not enough for them.

REPORTER
So by someone having you around, do you inadvertently push them to Anger?

FEAR
NO! First of all, Anger just like myself is good when we are used in moderation. When people use us out of desperation, than we get the bad rap for it. I don't push them to Anger nor do I push them to Happiness. Actually I like to have these people around because than I can feel useful.

REPORTER
What advice would you give to people who want to know you better?

FEAR
Use me in moderation. Remember, I am by myself and there is only so much of me to go around. Don't try to hide behind me! Try to own up to the times that you need me. Most of all don't use me as an excuse to be mean to others, especially innocent little children.

REPORTER
I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us today and I am sure many people will learn a lot from this interview.

FEAR
Well, I hope so. I just hope they don't get mad at me for what I have said and come after me!

Reclaim The Power Of Fear

There are parts on my body that sometimes clamor for attention. Whether it is itching, pain, stiffness or a stomach that does flip flops, I experience all of it. Of course, I have learned that these are messages and if I don't succumb to the fear, they have the ability to be moments of awareness and transformation.

Contrary to what is often taught and expounded upon, fear can be a good thing. Often I hear people say it is the absence of love. I would not equate love and fear together as they are two different emotions. If fear controls your life, than I would agree that it is not necessarily helping you. If you recognize fear, go in and ask what lesson you can learn as a result of it, your life has the possibility of a new moment of consciousness.

So what do fear and our bodies have in common when physical conditions show up? Often when the itching, pain and other situations occur in our body, fear is right there masking the source and importance behind these things. Through the use of drugs, surgery, procedures, tests and thought concepts, we tend to hide from the fear instead of raising our awareness and consciousness. We often do it without realizing that we are actually doing this. It is a silent thief in the night.

The more you can take these moments and harvest an increased awareness in life, the more you evolve as a human. Don't run away from fear no matter how much it may attempt to deceive you. Embrace this part of you through the pain and physical discomforts because at the moment you allow yourself to connect, you have then given yourself the opportunity to reclaim the power of fear.

It is easy in life to make up rules, concepts and processes to frame fear into a perceptible and plausible entity for our life. However, the more we run from fear, the more it controls us. Even if this happens in a subtle way. Let us find the courage to embrace fear rather than hide in our caves. Let us truly understand the power we hold in our grasp. Our power is greater than any illusion that fear may offer.

(Above Picture taken at Green Springs State Park, Enterprise, FL - (c) 05/11/10)


*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Fear Is Running Our World

We've had far too many events happen lately that just make me cringe.  From the shooting in Orlando to the one in Louisiana and Minnesota along with the Arab that was detained, fear is running our world. There is no other way to state it.  There is a good chance that by the time this is posted, what I wrote will be out of date. 

Gun sales are at an all time high and if you think fear does not play a role in that, then you may want to take a second look.  People are so afraid of other people, they feel that guns are the only way they feel safe.  They are afraid.  Fear is running their lives. You can deny it all you want, but if you take a moment to look at it, you'll see it.  I'm not saying anything about guns, other than fear drives guns.  Why else would the gun sales skyrocket?

To see someone that was dressed in Arab clothing and become suspicious of the person and report them is beyond comprehension in my mind.  We fear what we do not know.  We fear these people because we're taught to fear them every day.  Through the media and especially the politicians, we know nothing else than the fear we should feel at the utterance of their name or image we see.

We are so afraid of one thing or another.  I remember living in a small town and I was meeting a friend of mine at a youth baseball practice session in the local ballpark.  I was sitting on the bleachers minding my own business and the parents demanded to know who I was and why I was there.  It was not for information purposes, but because they didn't know who I was.  They were afraid.  Yet, the same people would be fine worshiping alongside a child molester in their church.

Associate with our own kind...

When we put up walls and fences and only associate with our own kind, we're not helping to make the world a better place.  When we fear everyone around us that doesn't act like us or think like us, we are not making the world a better place.  When we fear everything but what we believe and we listen to the news pundits and politicians as if they speak our truth, we are not helping to make the world a better place.

When we degrade others and put our beliefs and religions as the forefront of all knowledge and truth, we are degrading all of humanity.  We are making each one of us out to be less than we are because we cannot see others with a pure essence or someone just like us.

When all others are wrong....

When we proclaim we have the right way and all others are wrong, it is then that fear is guiding our heart.  There is no love in that statement.  When we do this, we automatically assemble all those that are teetering on the brink of collapse to heed our call to hate one another.  Through that hatred, we see mass shootings such as Orlando and others.

We cannot proclaim to be better than those we despise if we do the same things that we hold up as being horrible.  We cannot proclaim to be better if we return hate with hate, all the time acting as if we have love in our hearts.  We are all guilty to some degree and many of us are guilty to a much greater degree.

We no longer respect and talk with one another as neighbors.  We no longer see others in the eyes of love because fear is running our world.  We engage in rhetoric that adds to the problem, but solves nothing.  We engage in rhetoric that brings us in unison with the masses, but does nothing to help make the world better.  We engage in beliefs that pit one person against another, rather than opening our arms and showing love to one another.

Fear is so alive...

It is time we begin to face up with how much fear is running our world.  Fear is so alive and this world is running scared.  Yes, I know there are dangers.  I have seen this happen too close to me, but we cannot do the same thing that is being done to us, because if we do, we will only lose the most precious part of our existence.

We are all one.  We were all created as humans traveling on this planet through the journey of life.  We can either choose to continue and keep our heads buried in the sand, or we can rise above and learn to love, not hate.  We can be more than we are, if we want to, but we must stop letting the rhetoric of the day be our source of strength and sustenance to our soul.

The ego keeps score.  The ego dictates how great it is and how right it is.  The ego shows you how wrong everyone is and how much they should be silenced.  The ego has nothing to do with love.  It has nothing to do with love in our heart.

It is up to each one of us, what we do and how we impact the world.  Each one of us can continue on the same path we are, or we can make a difference.  It isn't the other people who we need to worry about in life.  It is what is in our heart that will make the difference.  For when our hearts unite as one, hate will have no home.  Ignorance will not be fed.  Rhetoric of the day will sound like a noisy cymbal out of tune.

It is up to each one of us, what we choose to do with our day.  We will either become part of the solution or we will continue to add to the hate that is alive through the fear that is running our world.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Believing Your Fears

Ahhh says the wise man, one of those self fulfilling attributes of being human.  Believing your fears is one of the things that haunts most people and it is one of the things that can hold us back from healing our lives and moving forward.

Fears are tricky little pests.  They fake us into believing that they are real and all of the time they are nothing but parasites feeding upon our own energy.

Of course, there are real fears.  If you're walking through a dark alley and feel some shadow following you, the fear you're going to get attacked is most likely real.  If you're walking in the safari of Africa and see the lions surrounding you, I'm sure the fear you're probably going to have to outrun a lion is real.  Yes, fears are real.

Addicted To Fear

We have just witnessed some horrible acts of violence at the hands of a shooter in Colorado.  My heart goes out to the survivors and family who remain behind.  I can only imagine the horror they are facing in the quiet moments.  The depth of their pain is great and unless you've been through this, it is hard to imagine the fullness of it.

One thing I find sad though is how addicted to fear we have become in our country.  As a result of this tragedy, we had the nonstop coverage on the news regarding this story.  Even when the news had nothing to say, they invented things to say.  One reporter thought that the shooter was a member of the tea party when in fact, this "investigative" reporter failed to fully do his job.

In these tragedies, we all expect our news programs to run continuous coverage of these events.  Whether they have anything to say or not, we as a nation are sitting on the edge of our seats just in case they have something new to report.  In my opinion, this is some of the most destructive behavior we can engage in. Yet, we drink the news as if it is our favorite alcoholic beverage.

Symptoms Of Fear

While this is not an exhaustive list of what you may see or experience with the emotion of fear, it includes many symptoms. Fear of course shows up in different ways for different people based upon their own life experiences and the current stimuli they are facing. Some people may be more aggressive and others may be paralyzed from the fear.

For me, fear often paralyzes and immobilizes me. In fact at one time, I was completely paralyzed by fear. The condition of course is termed a "conversion disorder" or hysterical paralysis. When I get very stressed and the fears get high, one of the things I quickly notice is that my legs become difficult to move and feel as if I am dragging around lead weights.

Fear is part of the sympathetic nervous system which plays a major role in the fight or flight response. Hopefully after the fear has passed, our bodies return to a more restful and relaxed state through the parasympathetic nervous system.

Please feel free to leave a comment with other signs of fear that I may have missed and I will edit this post to include them.

Physical Signs Of Fear
- Wide Eyes
- Raised Eyebrows
- Flared Nostrils
- Clenched Mouth
- Larger personal space
- Slouching or hunching to minimize their exposure
- Taller or squared shoulders as in an aggressive response
- Feet may be pointed to locate a way out of the situation
- Crossed arms and hands
- Drumming of fingers
- Fidgeting
- Rapid Breathing
- Shaking or tapping legs
- Breathing more rapid and shallow
- Increase in blood pressure
- Increase in pulse rate
- Dilated Pupils
- Dry Mouth
- Body hair standing on end
- Tense and energized muscles
- Increased perspiration
- Digestive and Immune systems slow down
- Trembling and shaking
- Peristalsis reduced
- Increased glycogen to glucose conversion
- Norepinephrine and epinephrine secreted
- Sweaty Palms
- Nervous Ticks
- Increase in thoughts and Mind Racing
- Screaming, yelling or inability to do these things
- Immobility or paralysis
- Hives or skin rashes, skin conditions

I lived in fear all my life that if I spoke about these things, someone would come after me. I still deal with the fear, but I am coming to a point in my life where I will not be silenced any longer. 
Hope And Possibility Through Trauma by Don Shetterly

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Don't Run From Your Fears

Sometimes you feel like it.  Sometimes you feel like the only thing you can do is run from your fears.  However, I'm here to tell you don't run from your fears.  It won't help you.

I do realize that there are times you don't want to associate with your fears and you'd rather not even acknowledge them.  This is the human experience.  Yet, the fears are in your life for some reason.  You have given birth to them and nurtured them.  They are your fears.

Sometimes fear is very important.  It gets our attention.  It points us to some danger that we need to see.  Sometimes fear has a way of making us take notice and see that the footsteps ahead are not really what we want for our life.

Fears also show up when moments of our life come up which may be difficult to process or deal with at that point.  Experiences from our past or what lies ahead can have a protective level of fear around them.  The fear is meant for us to proceed with caution and to try to slow down and see the whole picture.

Fear is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're running from the tiger in the jungle.  You need that fear to keep yourself alive.  You need that fear to motivate your feet and your body to run as far away and as fast as you can from the tiger.

Instead of acting like you need to run from your fears, try something different instead.  Don't see fear as something bad, but as something that can show you the way or help you see things in a different perspective.  Let it light the path and provide another perspective in your life.

Let the energy of fear propel you forward, not keep you hidden in your cave.  Let the possibility that fear is hiding from you, be one of the most enlightening moments of your life.  Harness the energy.  Embrace fear.  Become one with fear.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Fears And Conspiracy Theories

I've never seen this quite so bad as I'm seeing it now.  Almost every day there is a new fear or conspiracy theory about someone or something floating on the internet.  While most of it cannot be fully backed up with hard evidence, there are always the pieces that give just enough spark to the fire.

I'm not here to debate if all these theories are true or not.  I doubt that even if we spent the next year discussing many of them, we would still not be at the outcome which is provable beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Some of these things are pointless in my humble opinion because of that statement.

What bothers me more though, is that we are succumbing to our own fears and projecting that on to things that are totally unrelated.  We don't realize how much we are doing this, but an open eye can see it quickly and without much effort.  Fear is driving us.  Fear is controlling us.  Fear is making us believe things that are just not necessarily true.

It is okay to question and observe and learn.  There is no doubt in my mind that these are good things for all of us.  However, when we do them without being grounded, we lose so much of our self, our truth, and we chip away at what little of humanity is left.

We need to find balance...

We need to find balance, rather than chasing our fears.  We need to stop and notice what it is that we are feeding our own fears, rather than pointing the finger of alarm at all those we can get to listen to us.

Yesterday I started watching and reading some stuff on a website and it was rather disturbing to say the least.  Not that it was disturbing and frightening to me, but that it felt like the conversation and words were very dark and fear-based.  They were of a lower vibration.  In fact, it was more than annoying to try and continue to read and watch the various videos.

Fear is being propagated...

I know there is dark and scary stuff out there in the world.  I know there is fear that is being propagated at every turn in our day.  I know that we as a human civilization swallow up all the fear-based news of the day, chomping on it as if it is the last morsel of nutrition for our life.

There will always be things that take us away from our peace and safety.  It is a sad fact of life and the universe from what I have grown to understand.  However, if we allow the dark and scary stuff to latch on to the fears we have in our own life, we are only holding back ourselves and the collective consciousness of the world.

When we walk in fear, we destroy the universe and all the inhabitants.  When we walk in the darkness that permeates civilizations, we will not find peace.  It is only when we go deep within and clean out our own closets, that we will have taken fear by the hand and kicked it out the door.

May we all rise to greater heights and instead of chasing fears and conspiracy theories, let us find the good in one another, the peace deep within our own mind and body and the love that connects us as humans.  May we all rise to meet the challenges of the days, not wallow in the mud pits of fear, darkness, and things that ultimately will bring us down.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Diving Into Cold Water Fears

When I read the article on CNN.com, Diving Into Coldest Water On Earth, I was intrigued with some of the comments the swimmer, Lewis Pugh, shared. While I myself would most likely not look for the coldest bodies of water to swim in and I'm sure most people would feel the same way, there is much to be learned from this experience. For the entire article, you can read the article through the link below.

Lewis Pugh stated that "the most immediate thing you have to do is to just squeeze out the fear, because otherwise the fear will just paralyze you." He is so correct in this and I'm sure I am not stating anything that everyone does not already know. However, we as a human species tend to understand this intellectually but not consciously.

In fact, in healing the body and the mind, fear is the number one block to holding us back from true healing. While fear can be a powerful motivator for healing in our life, all too often, it becomes a paralyzing force. I understand that completely because of the Conversion Disorder (paralysis) that I experienced several years ago.


Often, we don't even realize the way that fear grips our every day life. In fact, most humans just see things they do as standard events in the course of their life rather than fear that is holding them back. It is much easier to accept the false illusions that life gives us rather than go in and ask the hard questions that we must all face. Fear is at the root of everything we do and we either learn from it or we cower in the corner as a result.

Then, we question why nothing happens in our life or why we still struggle with pain and despair. The result is just like Lewis Pugh stated, "I remember thinking to myself, if things go bad, I'll get out after 500 meters... If you think about a swim like that, that's the worst way of thinking. What you're doing is confusing your subconscious, because you're planning for victory and defeat at the same time."

You see, if we follow the healing modality belief system of the day whether it is current medicine, a new age sensation or a religious belief, we often keep ourselves from going deep into the fear. We claim we want to take the swim (dive into the fear) but then we look for ways out. We confuse the subconscious. It is not until we let go of the fears (the ideals and beliefs that we hold on to) that we will begin to see more clearly and really begin to heal. It is at that point where we will come to know ourselves. It is at that point where we are one with our subconscious.

Hiding in the belief system that is regurgitated at will in our world, gets us no where. Opening ourselves up and taking the swim into fear, is what will take us to our goal. Let us begin to question all that we do, all that we feel and all that we assume to be a part of us. Let us not accept it as fact but view it as a stepping stone to greater awareness.

Allow the fear to empower us and motivate us forward, rather than living in the past realm of hurt emotions, shut off sensing and rigid thinking. There is a greater world out there when we step outside of the fear and it is ours just for taking the steps into awareness.



Further Reading
1) Diving Into The Coldest Water On Earth
2) Conversion Disorder
3) Hope And Possibility Through Trauma


Blog Post & Images (c) 4/5/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Push Through The Fear

I must push through it!  Yes, I must.   When I get ready to go into a healing moment, my fears rise up like a stormy sea desiring to bash me into the largest cliffs on the shore.  I must push through the fear for if I don't, the fear will overcome this moment.  It isn't easy, but I know I can do it.  It isn't fun experiencing these things, but then I know that out of these moments, there is a peace and calmness that awaits.

All my life, I have had fear in one way or another.  At times where I am expected to be there and "perform" (for lack of a better word), I head down the one way street of fear.  I struggle to hold the reins of these galloping horses as they speed off into the dark and stormy night.  No matter what I tell myself or what I do, the automatic pilot kicks into gear and my conditioned response plays out as if it knows what to do.

From the sick times of my abuser who used these healing moments as a sword against my life, I have struggled to separate out the good from the bad.  At one time, it was the thing that "started" the series of events where my body and mind would escape.  It was the point where my little brain could not begin to comprehend what was happening to me, and so I fled into a world where there was no pain.  It is in that moment that I must reclaim those fragmented parts of myself.  It is in this moment that I have to push through the fear.

Fearing Fear

"Only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - Franklin D. Roosevelt

As I see the hysteria and panic over the swine flu that is hitting the world, the above statement came to mind. Yes, I do realize this is a health threat and it is serious but the panic and hysteria is only fueling the problem. Diseases and health conditions have a low vibration and so when you add fear and hysteria to that, you only reinforce and lower the vibration level. Of course, as a society and as individuals we can choose to focus on the fear, thereby only hurting ourselves more in the long run.

What if, on the other hand, we view life through a different paradigm. The paradigm that says we are all healthy, vibrant individuals with so much possibility, so much strength and life. We bring in that which we need to our lives and we celebrate all that life and the universal source has given us. We discard that which is focused on what could happen or the fear of what could happen and we rid ourselves of the vibrant energy robbers of past events. Our daily lives focus on taking in all that is healthy through the food we eat, the activities we participate in and the true rest and relaxation that we give our bodies. As we do this, we give way to a higher vibration in our lives thereby not giving worry to the panic and hysteria of the day.

While it is helpful to take basic precautions in life, we do not need to embrace fear and allow fear to run our lives. A helpful dose of fear can be a motivator in how we live our life and how we allow ourselves to grow but it becomes hurtful when we allow it to rule our lives.

Go forth in possibility, in life and in abundance.

Afraid Of Fear

We're there!  We've been a downhill trajectory for a long time and now we're just digging deeper into fear.  So many and I mean so many are so afraid of fear that reality isn't even a close relative now.

At one time (maybe it was just an illusion), we all were not a bunch of fear freaks scampering to every potential thing that happened in a day or didn't happen.  Now, we are all waiting it seems to run from anything that might make a whisper.

It is really sad to be honest.  We are at an all time high for panic and depression.  We are at an all time high of trusting no one and fearing everyone.  We're afraid of people who look different than us.  We are afraid of sounds that turn out to be nothing meaningful.

I thought it would balance out at some point, but I think I'm wrong.  We are so afraid of fear that I wonder just how long it will be before we reach the ultimate, point of no return tipping point.  I'm not sure we are that far away from this.

In the meantime, fear is causing not only mental disturbance issues, but all kinds of health issues.  Fear is forcing us to do things we wouldn't normally do and consuming us to the point where normal things in life look frightening.

Everyone thinks that by following the constant minute by minute replays of news, they are somehow giving themselves sustenance and facts, but in many ways, they are just adding to the fear.  News isn't news and it is only designed to hook you and reel you in, but that doesn't stop anyone. 

Everyone thinks that by taking more and more health procedures that we are somehow handling the crisis.  Unfortunately this just takes everyone further and further from being connected to their body.  It takes them further into the dark whole where the health issues compound themselves and grow with unbridled expansion.

Instead of learning to respect and love one another, we treat everyone as the enemy.  We and our politicians degrade anyone that is different than us and anyone that might help us gain more power, money or control.  It doesn't matter which side of the issue we are on, because we all do it through what we mind numbingly share and like on social media every day.

It is sad how we have lost site of where we are and who we are at in a day.  I can see the nervous system spinning out of control in most people I meet, but we still walk into the fog, thinking that we are walking into the sun.

Where will it all stop and reverse?  I am not sure.  I can't see how we can continue on as humans in this manner.  The universe strives for balance and the further we swing one way or the other, the more it will take to bring us back into balance.  May we all do that before it is past the point of no return.

If only we could do little things every day, rather then hiding our heads in the sand.  If only we could figure out what it truly means to be grounded, not just something that we tell the world that we are.  If only we could get back to discovering what it means to be aware of our innermost self instead of looking to blame, ridicule, mock, and disrespect others.

I know, it seems like a dream right now.  It continues to be my dream and my hope.

Listen to the YouTube Video below of Joy Harjo and the Fear Poem. It is powerful!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/26/15 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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