Escape Your Shadows

Wake up. This world that you dream holds nothing to fear. - Rumi.

Experience each dawn, each flower, each breath with a new perspective and a new level of joy. True serenity begins when we release ourselves from the bondage of fear. Break the chains.

We rid ourselves of the knot of fear once and for all. We open a new chapter in our lives. The opportunity to take our existence to a higher plane is there for us.

In the animal kingdom, the fight or flight reaction is a safeguard against danger. Often, it is the best defense against the challenges of nature; in humans, this shows itself through fear, and often we run away from our threats. Bills go unpaid, we avoid some people, and obvious bad judgments, ignored; these are the flight reaction in modern life. We destroy things, shout, and fight; these are fight reactions Neither gives any real solution to our problem, only a brief respite or momentary release.

Take a moment and listen. Is your mind racing with thoughts almost paralyzing you with unwanted terrors? Fear can be logical or an unbidden fantasy of our worst nightmares. Whatever the cause, the dark feelings our emotions reacting to facts. In truth, the harbinger of doom is not the truth but our Ego.

Our primal defense developed as we developed into the destructive driving force known as Ego. We do not need to run from tigers or fight wolves, but we still need to protect our well being. Our sense of self tries to use primal urges to do this and fails, causing misery and hardship.

A friend comes to you with a problem. You offer support and tangible logical advice. You may suggest hard choices, a plan of action, or try and put the issue into perspective. These will often go hand in hand with sympathy and encouragement. In the same situation, we are rarely able to apply these solutions to our own difficulties. Instead, we counter the solution with a seemingly unlimited supply of buts.

The Ego creates an image of what it thinks we are and what it thinks we should be. It fools us into believing we are the masters of our destiny, ruler of our world; it tells us we are God. When problems come, it tries to guide us to a solution while trying to preserve these delusions. It will often shy away from the hard decisions if they show us as weak, foolish, or anything that threatens our image.

In defeating our fear, we must first overcome our Ego, this may seem easy, but we are trying to fix a broken mind with the same broken mind. So how do we move on? Consider the following simple steps.



Step away from yourself - If we trap ourselves in our thoughts, we are governed by our feelings and rapidly lose sight of the answer. Look at the fear as you would consider a friend's fears, apply logic in the same way.

Gauge the real cost. - The shame and embarrassment that cripples our Ego do not scare us forever unless we let it. People's opinion of us may change, but what value do you put on that over your peace of mind.

Are you alone? - Our Ego will quickly answer yes, but the truth is we can call upon knowledge in abundance. Our friends, family, support groups, books, and our previous experience can all guide us if we choose. Above all, there is the Divine whichever name we use, we are never truly alone.

Listen to the voice within. - We hear people say that they knew they should or should not do a thing, and we may even ask why they ignored it. Look beyond our Ego, and there is a guide; our own Higher Power offers directions if only we would listen.

Is death your fear? - The Ego craves life more than we do. If you let the fear of death rule you, you will waste your life until it comes. Living is about experiencing everything, joy, and pain, love, and heartache. By avoiding one, you fail to experience the other. The greatest adventure is living, but the second greatest is death. Do not seek out the end of this journey to begin the next one; it will come when it is time.

Stop being God. - Self-awareness does not imbue us with omnipotence, however hard we try. If life doesn't seem fair, we must ask ourselves, for whom. Remind yourself and your Ego that you are human. You err and make mistakes, and then you grow.

Reset the scales. - There is a natural order in the Universe and with it an energy that loves to find balance. If our fear is of financial hardship, then give someone aid, of being alone, then give friendship, of the unknown, then give clarity. It has a two-fold gain when we help another person, we lose sight of ourselves and silence the Ego. We also place debt on the Universe, which will be returned. Often in unexpected ways.



This moment is a drop-in time, it will be gone, and new possibilities will begin. Take all this moment has to offer and then let it go. Fear will always chain you to either the past or the future. Be free in the now. Is this true? Can simple words give a respite from your shadows? Ask yourself where your fear was while you read this.