How to not let the fear of others become your own
I want to first emphasize that I’m not against the government and health officials and the health and safety practices to avoid the spread of disease. However, looking around me I see fear everywhere and I wanted to share my insights and philosophies on what brings me peace of mind and security during these difficult times. How do we not become fearful in a fearful world and most importantly when it affects the entire planet and our loved ones?
I believe in following health and safety regulations and avoiding contamination by all means. The problem is our anxiety is skyrocketing from the chaos and diseases on this planet. I do believe there must be a strong focus on eliminating the spread, however, there’s a fine line between focusing on the solution or obsessing over the disease.
We’ve heard the many spiritual masters of our time say what you focus on, you perpetuate, so the more people focus on this matter with fear and dread rather than the solution, they’re perpetuating the problem.
It sounds easier said than done and for most it’s very difficult to do so, however practice and repetition is key. If someone can practice their skills and abilities enough to be a professional ball player or professional stock broker, one can practice not being fearful in a fearful or chaotic world.
If someone is mentally and spiritually strong, no matter what the adversity is, he should have the will and strength to overcome it. If someone is constantly stressed and he or she gets sick, is there much energy left to fight off the disease?
Take someone who is optimistic, and he has faith that he will overcome, the journey may not be easy but at least he’s investing his energy towards wellness. Whatever you focus on you perpetuate, so perpetuate the right things.
We only have so much energy during the day and if we focus all our energy on complaining, or our fears, then a little flu can appear much more painful than it really is. I don’t want to make light of the situation, I just want to empathize having inner peace in a fearful world is possible. Having peace despite the chaos is possible, and when you do have peace, you’re a much stronger influence to help others remain well or recover.
So my question to you is, what influence do you want to be, and what thoughts do you want to entertain?