Lately, many of us have been living in fear. Current political news can make us feel afraid that we are not safe. Some of my friends say they're afraid to speak up, to disagree, to act on their beliefs for fear of what could happen to them. But while there are disruptive forces out there, surrendering to fear is not the answer.
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in his First Inaugural Address during the dark days of the Depression: "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance" (1933).
In today's challenging times, it is up to each of us to find ways to transform the reductive reaction of fear into the possibility for positive action. For we cannot act wisely when reacting from fear, which plunges us into fight, flight, or freeze—three reactions that reduce our actions to defensiveness, retreat, or passivity.
How do we transform the energy of fear? The Bible tells us that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John, 4:18). Recent research in positive psychology has found how we can transcend fear with the power of awe, the sense of inspiration and wonder when we connect with something larger than ourselves (Keltner, 2024).
I invite you to join me now in a brief reflection to experience the power of awe.
- Take a deep mindful breath and slowly release it. Then recall a time when you felt a sense of awe, an expansive connection and oneness with something beyond your ego—a sense of joy and inspiration.
- Was it experiencing the beauty of nature—perhaps walking in the woods, seeing a radiant sunset, or gazing at the stars overhead?
- Was it appreciating a work of art—music, drama, poetry, or the visual arts?
- Was it sharing time with a loved one?
- Feeling flow, as you participated in the process of creativity?
- Or something else?
Breathe into that experience now, feeling it in the present moment, expansive, inspiring, and energizing.
In the days ahead, make it a point to restore your inner balance by connecting with awe on a regular basis. Reach out to connect with whatever brings you that joyous, expansive feeling of awe.
Experiencing awe will dispel the fear reaction, bring more light to your life, and enable you to take positive action to bring more light to the world.
I wish you joy on the path.
References
Keltner, D. (2024). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Roosevelt, F. D. (1933, March 4). First Inaugural Address. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/froos1.asp