|
We are living in a world that
is crazed with fear and because of that we have lost power over
ourselves, our lives and our circumstances. Because of that fear
we have very little love for anyone. When you love someone or
something your main thoughts are focused on that person or thing
that you love. What do you think about all the time? --Your spouse,
your children, joyful things and happy things or do you focus
on yourself and on how these terrible prices are going to affect
you?
Do you know how powerless you
become when you give way to fear? When you're constantly afraid,
you can't function properly at work which leads to not getting
a pay raise or worse yet, getting fired. You can't get your mind
off of that which you fear and it filters into every area of
your life.
You become short and angry with
your family when they try to talk to you, ask you something or
want to spend time with you because they are interrupting your
focus on your fear. "How am I going to get some rice (or
gas, or milk or apples)", "If there's a shortage of
rice now, I'm sure that is going to lead to a shortage on ALL
food", "If there is a shortage of food, that will mean
I can't go on vacation this summer or buy that new car."
You say but that's silly and
doesn't even make sense. No it doesn't and that is where the
sound mind comes in. Where there is fear there is total loss
of rational reasoning or what I call "common sense".
When someone isn't of sound
mind (not using common sense), they think there is going to be
a shortage on rice and they panic. They tell everyone they know.
The word spreads and then everyone panics and runs out to hoard
rice. All that fear has a snowball effect which then creates
a shortage of rice where there wasn't one.
If people had not given over
to fear and had been of sound mind (using common sense) they
would have thought, "No big deal, we'll have pasta instead
or just do without rice for now." They would go about their
daily business without giving it another thought and focus on
more important things like how to be a kinder more loving spouse
or parent.
When people aren't consumed
with fear they can think more rationally, which helps them make
wiser and more practical decisions. When fear is gone they have
peace and joy and patience and most of all they are more loving.
Think about it. How much of
your life is ruled by fear? If you filter back through most negative
emotions, most of them begin with fear of something. Do you buy
things you can't afford because you are afraid of what people
will think of you? Do you spend more on gifts for your friends
and your children's friends because you fear that people won't
love you?
Take a serious look at the things
you obsess about. Do you obsess about them because of some kind
of fear? I don't know how to tactfully and gently say this but
lately I have seen quiet (and sometimes loud) fear in a new thing
called "becoming green and saving the environment".
This is really just another form of fear. When people become
obsessed and overcome, it is usually out of fear and not out
of rational thinking.
I'm not saying you shouldn't
try to save the environment if you think that it needs saving.
I'm simply saying don't let things that stem from fear of something
control your life in such a way that you lose all of your life's
joy and your capacity for reasonable and rational thinking. |
Refer
