Absence of Fear

fear - n. - a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

Google "quotes on fear" and you’ll find a boatload of them. Fear is one of the toughest emotions we have to deal with. To let it grow could be disabling, letting it take control of our lives and making us ineffective. And yet overcoming a fear can be a rewarding experience, preparing us for other fears that will surely come our way.

"…whether the threat is real or imagined;" The real fear (i.e. an unattended toddler heads out towards the street) is out there in front of us, clearly defined. Our instincts come into play with real fears. Fearing for the child’s safety causes us to react, to eliminate that fear. Our reaction is swift, instantly calculated and done without conflicting thoughts. The danger is past once the child is in our arms.

Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed. - Michael Pritchard

But the imagined fear, the ones we create in our minds are far more difficult to gain control of. Our imaginations can run wild and in many directions. We can come up with thousands of scenarios with thousands of possible solutions. The more scenarios we create the less chance we have of overcoming the fear. Confusion and doubt set in, confidence erodes and nothing gets resolved.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. – Marianne Williamson

Everyone has the ability to overcome all of our fears, and to not let them ever compromise our ability to live. A trust and a faith that we are who we believe we are. And that we can hold on and get past any danger that is out there, known or unknown. To be courageous, the ultimate compliment.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. - Ambrose Redmoon.