Fear is such a compelling emotion. It can make good people do bad things. It can make those that see the truth become temporarily blind. It can cause those that usually speak from the heart to become mute or worse speak falsehoods and lies. Fear can make us see enemies where there are none, marking every stranger we come across as a danger.

Why does fear cause us to do so many horrific acts – even acts that in the long run will cause us self-harm? Quite simply because no one wants to feel powerless and that is what fear does. Fear makes us confront head on the belief that we are powerless living in a chaotic universe. And I would add not only powerless but also alone in a chaotic universe. Which is why fear actually brings people together who share the same fear.

The problem with fear is you can so easily find reasons to justify your fear. It is easy to see proof to back up your fear. What we forget is you can just as easily find proof that the fear is unwarranted if you were to focus your attention on uncovering that information. Whether we like it or not or are willing to believe it; Fear, in most cases, is a choice.

This is why people who long for power quite often use fear to motivate their bases and as a means to control them. They know that if they stir up fear they can then easily band those people together and manipulate them into doing things they usually wouldn’t do. All it takes to do that is to point to an “other” as the cause of the problem and reassure them that if they do as they are told they will be safe again and no longer alone.

Fear is an energy each person will have to confront and learn to transform again and again as they grow and evolve in consciousness. It is never fun or pleasant and depending on the fear can be quite difficult however there are some common sense things we can all do to keep from being an easy mark for fear.

1. Don’t Believe Everything You Hear.
If someone is telling you exactly what you want to hear as if they are reading your mind and even at times using the same words you would use- Step back and beware. A good con artist parrots your words and feelings. A sincere person won’t be so perfect in mirroring your desires and may actually have a few things that are not in alignment with your thinking or feelings.
2. Don’t Get Lost In The Semantics
If one person uses one word or label to convey a message and another person uses a different word or label –look for the intention or energy behind the words. It is less about the words and all about what is behind the words. It will tell you everything you need to know.
3. Stop Believing It Will Be Different With You.
If someone mistreats others or you see them lie, cheat, or disparage another person – Run because at some point it will be you. Stop pretending that somehow you are unique and they will never do it to you. It is not about how special you are. It is about them and their need for power and control.
4. Stop Believing Your Fear. Fear is merely an emotion and if left unchecked will always find excuses for its existence or worse allow someone else to present you with a scapegoat for your fear. Fear is rarely connected to the truth. When you have fear, turn inward and see what feelings have triggered your fear. It is about those emotions and your need to address them, not the end product of fear.

Fear may be rampant these days, but that does not mean we are not responsible for our choices. We can choose to be held hostage by our fears, or we can decide to confront our fears head on knowing that we are more than just the sum of our fears.

Until next time be the light the world needs and stay in love for all.

Joffre McClung is the author of two books The Heart of the Matter: A Workbook and Guide to Finding Your Way Back to Self-Love and *How Learning to Say Goodbye Taught Me How to Live.    You can catch her video series on Self-love on her YouTube channel.