The headline that troubled me most this week was that of a young police officer shot and killed his first day on the job. Do you ever wonder what’s going on in people’s minds when you read/hear about shootings, abuse, violence, and so on? My first thought is usually, “What’s happening that so many people feel compelled to fall back on aggression as the solution to a problem?” It doesn’t take long before I remember it’s fear and, because fear is the foundation of stress, too many people these days are living in a constant state of fear.
Fear is essential for providing warning signals and keeping us alive when there’s a threat to our survival. And (this is a big AND), human beings are not designed to live in a state of fear (stress, anxiety, depression, anger, etc.) for long periods of time. In fact, living in an extended state of fear eventually works against us – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
People have been living in personal and/or professional ‘survival’ mode for far too long. The result is the toll it’s taking across the globe on our physical and mental health. When you live in a constant state of stress, you are being affected by the ‘fear response’ in your body without even being afraid.
Dr. Joe Dispenza, describes the biological state of stress as living in survival. “Because of our large brains, human beings are capable of thinking about their problems, reliving past events, or even forecasting future worst-case scenarios and thus turning on the cascade of stress chemicals by thought alone. We can knock our brains and bodies out of normal physiology just by thinking about an all-to-familiar past or trying to control an unpredictable future.”
When we trigger the survival response via our worries, stress, and anger – or worse yet when we live indefinitely in that state, we are releasing brain chemicals that, over time deplete the energy needed for growth and restoration.
The key is in recognizing you have the ability to consciously manage your thoughts, feelings, and energy. And most situations are more effectively addressed and resolved from the perspective of belief and empowerment rather than fear (stress, aggression, etc.) and control.
In fact, the more stress and fear we experience, the more we are compelled to control. Alternatively, when you shift from fear to trust, the more effective you will be in solving problems while maintaining personal power and overall wellbeing.
The overwhelming presence of fear, and the related feelings, usually originates early in life. David Richo, author of When Love Meets Fear, states, “When we notice a connection between our present fears and their origins in early life, we are finding out how much of our identity is designed by fear.”
Fear, along with our often outdated subconscious patterns, do not have to run the show. Thanks to frontier sciences like Epigenetics, we now know we are not merely brains and bodies, in fact, it is the infinite power of our beliefs and energy that are the catalysts for transforming life as we know it, ours and the world around us.
The time has come to rise above the fear-mongering that has infiltrated our lives and take back our power by trusting in ourselves, others, and the potential for humanity to step out of surviving and into thriving. You are the catalyst of the future.
With Grace, Kimble
P.S. Interested in learning more? Let’s connect!