“It is both the work and the adventure of a lifetime to reclaim the only moment we ever really have, which is always this one.”
~Jon Kabat-Zinn
The voice of fear fills our minds with thoughts that project into the future and expect the worst. Should I or shouldn’t I? What if I do—or don’t? The imagination runs wild thinking of every negative scenario that could happen.
And the effect of these projections? You feel stuck, you limit yourself, or you resign yourself to playing it safe.
Your attention is captured in fear-infused thoughts, while you’re missing the beauty of what is real and alive right here and now.
Fear Fears the Unknown
At the core of every fear-filled thought is a desire to know what cannot be known. This desire manifests as an imagined negative, scary outcome.
- I won’t find a job.
- I’ll always be alone.
- I’m afraid I’ll be rejected.
- What if I fail?
Each of these common thoughts contains an assumption about what will happen in the future.
And here is the logical truth: you cannot know ahead of time what will happen. You either know that something is true because it has already occurred. Or it hasn’t occurred yet, and you don’t know what the outcome will be.
Fearful thoughts guess or assume the worst with no logical evidence. When you take these assumptions to be true, you end up anxious and paralyzed.
The Truth of Not Knowing
When it comes to fear, the most liberating statement you can make is, “I don’t know.”
“I don’t know if I’ll find a job,” “I don’t know if I’ll always be alone.”
“I don’t know” opens the door to unlimited possibilities that the fearful mind can’t begin to contemplate.
Seeing the truth of the unknown is a healing balm for fearful thoughts. And here are the effects:
- No more pressure to know what you can’t possibly know.
- The end of “should”—what you should know or should be doing.
- Infinite openness to all possibilities.
Living in the reality of the unknown brings your attention right into the present.
From Fear to Presence
Lose interest in the imagined, scary future, and you will discover:
- The ability to focus on doing what needs to be done now
- Appreciation and gratitude
- Relaxation
- Enjoyment
- Acceptance
- Wonder
- Peace
The unknown is the truth, and the truth will set you free. Do you want to be free of the effects of fear? Say “Yes!” to not knowing. Savor the experience of saying, “I don’t know.”
Always in love,
Gail
PS: I had a delightful conversation with Lee Davy, creator of the Alcohol and Addiction Podcast. I think you’ll find it practical and helpful. Audio and video are available here.
