Let's talk about one of my favorite topics...no not me...FEAR. It is a disabling emotion that strikes men and women without care or concern. I cannot tell you how many times in speaking with both genders I see fear that is irrational.
Much of the time it comes from lack of education or experience with a particular topic. My first exposures to the absurdity of irrational FEAR came decades ago when I faced a FEAR of my own. I had seen a man in an explosion in Hollywood who was burned beyond recognition and hence, I had developed this fear of fire.
I had also witnessed a well-known dragster driver crash at an event and he was burned over 70% of his body.
My fear seemed rational even though I had never been near any fire myself. I decided to attend a Tony Robbins event where they held a Firewalk. For the next few months prior to the event well-meaning folks told me how it was a fake and gave me all sorts of reasons why it couldn't be real.
This was in spite of the fact that they had no direct knowledge which is par for the course. The event arrived and I sat in the room with several hundred other attendees learning about healing in preparation for the Firewalk. They led us out to the parking lot where the fires were burning down into coals and the flames leaped high into the air.
Then at midnight we all trooped out and got in line to experience walking barefoot over 1600 degree coals.
Everyone but me that is. I stood on the sidelines arguing with myself about the merits of walking barefoot over burning hot coals. Make no mistake about it, the coals were RED HOT and there was no trickery or fakery here at all.
This was a test on everything we already knew and had learned these past few hours. I reconciled that I was there to do the Firewalk but that fear rose inside of me and I was paralyzed. I had to get over it and quickly. Then something happened that moved me over the edge.
Two dwarfs were assisted over the hot coals. I said to myself "If they can do it so can I" and promptly got in line. I watch with glee as the coals cooled and darkened. Then at the very moment I reached the front of the line and was ready to step off the edge I heard someone say "More Hot Coals."
A wheelbarrow filled with red hot burning embers appeared and was dumped and raked right in front of me. I stepped off repeating Cool Moss Cool Moss but realized I had been burned half-way across the coals. I wiped my feet and returned to the room silently vowing not to return in the morning.
I was hurt and feeling sorry for myself. I drove home arriving around 4am, promptly checked out my feet only to find fully formed blisters on both insoles. They hurt like hell but I was so tired that all I could do was put on a pair of socks and fall into bed.
I had a hair appointment in the morning and had no intention of going back to the event. Several hours of restless sleep later I got up, removed my socks and to my shock the blisters were completely healed. I mean dry and crusted as if they were weeks old rather than hours.
My mindset totally changed as I realized that the work we had done on healing earlier in the evening had healed my body and that the blisters I had received were there to show me how real the Firewalk was. Furthermore, I had challenged my Fear, knocked it on it's ass and overcome it.
Suddenly I had a burning share. I couldn’t wait to get to the event and share my realization with everyone. I had overcome my fear of Fire and learned a great deal about my ability to heal myself. It was a revelation that I had to share with others and did that day. I am forever grateful for the experience and encourage all of you to get over your irrational FEARS by facing them head on and realizing the absurdity of most of those fears.
Dissect the Fear and write down the real truths of that Fear. Are you really going to get eaten by a lion if you go on safari? Do you really stand a chance of being homeless? Are you truly in danger if you move to another city away from everything you have known your entire life? You know what Fears you have. Give them a voice on paper and then dig deeply for the truth and face that Fear head on.
