FEAR – The obvious emotion of mankind. The greatest enemy or closest friend. Not because one is weak but because it is a primitive human behavior that perceives triggers. Fear becomes unhealthy when it prevents us.
The fear of God is a good advantage of fear, the fear of tarnishing one’s reputation, the fear of living all alone, the fear of meeting the wrong person to mess with your emotions, and the fear of poverty. That which you fear may come upon you. Fear can be described as “a future expectation of being worse off than you are now.” you attract what you constantly think about. Basic fears start with the brain which can lead to lower self-esteem.
We all suffer from fear at one point or another. Only through regular, candid introspection, whereby you ask yourself direct questions and demand direct and honest replies, can negative influence be diminished or eradicated.
Both wealth and poverty are the offspring of thought. Fear of poverty crushes ambition, stymies imagination, feeds negativity, breeds cynicism, invites conflict, promotes selfishness, and encourages quitting, leading to hatred, illness, and misery—in other words, permanent defeat or indecision, leading to inaction, which ensures your life passes without making any meaningful contribution, personally or professionally.
Decide what you want in your life, always remembering that the poverty mindset will slowly creep into any mind not preoccupied with success. One thing the world will never be short of is criticism.
Every successful person has opened themselves up to the scorn of others, which if not properly understood and vanquished can destroy one’s ambitions and progress.
Sometimes, the worst criticism can be dished out by family, friends, and other loved ones who might have your best interests at heart but are constrained by their own fears and limitations.
We are all born with a willingness to experience sensations and try as many things as we can, pursuing fun and new challenges with little regard for the consequences or what other people might think.
But as we grow, social conditioning—coupled with improper reprimands from parents, teachers, and bosses—can lead to a growing fear of criticism, which, unlike constructive suggestions, brings out the worst in people. The outcome of worrying about what other people think is that much less is attempted.
Because it is our failures that in almost all cases ultimately define our success, attempting very little means little progress is made. The fear of loss of love can be seen either in jealousy of an existing partner, whether a spouse, business partner, or friend, without any reasonable grounds; or in using the memory of a failed or ended relationship to prevent you from finding love and happiness in a new one.
Too many people allow the scars of lost love to accompany them forever, denying themselves the prospect of future happiness in the companionship of another person.
Jealousy, when allowed to fester, can quickly turn to malice and be the downfall of any relationship. As the situation begins to worsen, both parties can find themselves trapped in a negative mindset that creates an extremely destructive environment.
As we get older, we increasingly see reminders of our own mortality. Death continually ranks at the top, or near the top, of what humans fear most; after all, regardless of what spin you put on it, your own death is inevitable.
Some channel this fate as inspiration to create a legacy and impact the world, while others retreat into their shells, refusing to discuss it openly and failing to prepare accordingly. Yet, while ignoring death will not postpone its arrival, living life to the fullest might.
Fear of death can lead to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, but if you reflect logically on this mindset, the fear seems baseless. After all, how can we fear something when we have absolutely no idea what awaits us? Accept death as an inescapable event and get to work on making each day your masterpiece.
To be continued…
Kabara, is a writer and public commentator. Her syndicated column, Voice, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays. She can be reached on hafceekay01@gmail.com