Faith Over Fear

Have you ever been driving down the road, singing along to the radio, only half aware of what is happening, when all of a sudden a deer steps out onto the highway?! You immediately slam on the brakes, your heart starts racing, and after you know you’re both safe you continue on your way. Except now your heart is pounding and you may be breathing a little hard from that quick burst of excitement. You know the feeling I’m talking about. It is an instant adrenaline rush, stemming from fear.

Now imagine staying in that heart racing state for days on end.

Yikes.

That is exactly what happens to your body when you live in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. Fear of judgment. Fearing for your safety. Whether it’s a fear of something physical and tangible, or it’s a fear of an emotion, the way your body reacts is the same. It releases a surge of Cortisol and Adrenaline to keep you alert and able to respond to any life-threatening situation. You know like a Saber-toothed Tiger attacking your village or a wolf-pack surrounding you as you journey home with food for your family. Wait, what?

Yes, you read that right. When you live in fear, your body cannot distinguish between life-threatening situations and situations we believe are scary; like meeting new people, sure it can cause some anxiety, but it is not life-threatening.

Because your body doesn’t know the difference, it is so important for you to not live in a state of fear. To truly work on being at peace so your body can relax and rest too. It has to believe that the Saber-toothed Tiger is gone and all is well again before it will stop releasing those hormones. After that extra production has ceased you will find that you sleep better, your cravings improve, and you’re in a better mood.

The next time you catch yourself feeling scared or living in fear, really examine why. What are you fearing? Is it really threatening your life, your safety, or your freedom? Or is it a fear-based on something that in the grand scheme of things, probably won’t kill you. Like that little spider, you see on the floor. Chances are you will be able to kill it long before it can do the same to you. Don’t let yourself live in fear because of something you can beat. Have faith, trust your body, trust your intuition, and allow nothing less than love and light into your space.