Cast away your fears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cast away your fears

The T-20 final came down to the wire, with England marginally ahead.  Just…….. Or so we presumed. Nineteen were to be scored of six balls.  The crowd was rambunctious. Carlos Brathwaite  was facing Ben Stokes.  And in a  most audacious manner, he pummeled four sixes in one sequence , that felled the Pommies virtually pulverizing them.
A distraught and  inconsolable  Ben Stokes was on his haunches. The following day, it was gracious on part of Mark Nicholos  for tendering an apology  to the West Indies for his uncharitable and  puerile remark that West Indians  were  a brainless team.  That he made amends is the sign of a mature mind.

West Indies cast away their fears on the fateful day  and played in the most intrepid manner  to scale the summit . What is fear?  It is an unpleasant emotion caused by the  threat of danger, pain or a  perceived harm which could be caused.

Humans are born with  a degree of natural fear. This is part of our personality trait  and is acceptable as it does not authorize us to cross the Lakshman Rekha. But acquired fear generates uncomfortable situations and circumstances which impede our development.

‘Do one thing everyday that scares you’ says Eleanor Roosevelt. This quote should motivate people to embark upon the uncharted territory.  But motivating the  mind requires pronounced skill. When confronted by fear , take in  a few  deep breaths  and meditate. This is a simple but a profound technique.

Fear is the greatest enemy which thwarts man’s progress and development. Unsuccessful men and those plagued by fear , hide their failures using the protective covering of fear. This negative emotion results in ill-health, sickness and even  adverse interpersonal relationships among colleagues and in the family. Continuous fear can lead to panic and anxiety attacks. And the afflicted may get addicted to say Prozac, drugs or even alcohol to deal with fearful situations.

Humans need to realise that  fear is a negative emotion which can be supplanted only  through constructive and positive thoughts. Our mind needs to be moulded and cast in  such a manner that fear gets banished from its source.
Negative thoughts, maintaining company of people who perpetually lament or complain foments fear. Our thoughts swing like a pendulum between the past and the future. When the mind is in the past tense it is full of regrets and when in the future tense it is fearful about the prospects.  It hardly remains in the present. And all Masters of the past and present have imparted this unique gift to the mankind to remain in the present.
Buddha through his innumerable breathing techniques including Vipassana or HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar through  Sudarshan Kriya have attempted to bring the mind to the present moment. Indeed such breathing techniques have enormous therapeutic value , but is  essentially an effort to bring the mind to the present moment.
The Art of Living , offers a unique course called Divya Samaj Nirman(DSN). This is a  personality development workshop  which  attempts  to  lionize our mind and self through  Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga, Pranayama ,Meditation , Knowledge talks and undertaking challenging engagements  hitherto not taken up. It breaks the comfort zone  and helps in expatriating fear.

A person suffering from fear should increase his faith in the Divine Power and resolve in a self superior to us.  Auto-suggestion in form of repeating in the mind- ‘I am blessed, I am grateful, I have abundance, Only good is happening’ trigger positive feelings and emotions.    This  chutzpah can be enhanced through a melange of positive affirmations.
Humans afflicted by fearful feelings should conjure successful situations in their minds. The script needs to be altered. All good and bad is eventually played out in the amphitheater of our minds. We need to imbibe joyous expectations and focus on being calm, serene , centered and poised.  If humans love , embrace good only good will follow. That is the Universal law of nature.
‘ There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid , we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first,  in all our glory and even imperfections . If we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life’ wrote the legendary Beatles, John Lennon.
So let us cast away fear.