How To Spend Time

At this time in the world, conditions are fertile for fear, whether real or imagined. We are constantly bombarded with trivia and images of famine, conflicts, wars, epidemics and desecrated nature. Since September 11th, many of us are consumed with fear of terrorism, fear over financial problems and fear of traveling. Walls of rigid fundamentalism rise in our neighborhoods where anyone appearing strange is met with suspicion. Fear builds a foundation around the belief that we have no power to change the situation. Pessimism settles in like a lingering bad smell. A thick cloud of despair descends and we lose our way in a complexity of heavy feelings. It is no wonder people become obsessed with their own defenses and that there is a lack of willingness to let in new ways of thinking and being.

When one’s internal forecast is habitually set for failure or supports the belief that something bad will happen, fear can be emotionally and physically draining and stop us from living our lives fully. But when the winds of fear are blowing, there are two ways we can feel it. We can either climb out into the open and be still or we can keep moving. If the call is to keep moving, there are actions you can take to shake off futility.

Turning off the TV. Although it’s important to be informed, the news media is designed for calling up emotional responses to every story. Your senses are being bombarded with visual and auditory stimuli to evoke fear. The Internet offers many excellent on-line news sources that focus on giving information in a less intense way. Reading a newspaper is also a way to keep informed in a more discerning way.

Seeking out positive people. Imagine walking down a dark, deserted alley at night with sinister figures lurking in the shadows. You probably feel a little out of sync or in popular jargon, there are some “bad vibes” about. Now imagine yourself at a picnic in a meadow on a Spring day surrounded by those you love and who love you. It’s clear you would choose to be in the situation that gives you “good vibes”. Follow the pull of your fascination towards people and situations that make you feel happy.

Filling up Your Senses Spending time in nature has a wonderful calming effect on the mind and body. A spot of green amidst the city streets or a day trip to the sea or mountainside provides an opportunity to bathe your senses in beautiful sights and quiet sounds. Listening to soothing music is helpful. Fill up your portable media player with Classical, Jazz, New Age or Nature sounds. It can make for a pleasant time spent commuting on the train.

If the call is to keep still and feel the wind, the opportunity is there to listen for more subtle messages in how to lessen fear.

Writing It Down Identifying your fears and writing them down creates a separation where they are no longer inherently a part of you. You can enter into a relationship with your fears where you begin to nurture them instead of battle them. By paying attention, you can detect what it is they want from you. You may discover that it is something you are longing or hoping for. Working with them in this way often leads to eliminating them altogether or to a shift in perspective to one of gratitude or insight.

Welcoming Stillness A side effect of establishing a meditation practice is a calm and quiet mind. When we are feeling despair and fear about the state of the world, a helpful meditation is to take a few minutes to visualize the whole world in front of you and from you heart, send the world love. Acknowledging the despair about the state of the world is actually healthy. It enables us to remember that we are part of all of life, reduces dichotomies that divide people, strengthens compassion, and motivates us to bring about change.

Savoring Each Moment Recently, I visited a maximum-security prison. Every man there had sentences of 10 years or more for murder, rape, acts of terrorism or drug trafficking. When I asked the man I was visiting how he coped, he said, ‘When I think about the past, it’s a nightmare. And looking ahead is a nightmare too. I just try and stay in the moment as much as I can’. Perhaps this is the most important determination in eliminating fear.

Most fears are thoughts about what will happen in the future but we don’t really know what fate will bring us. If you’re feeling the winds of fear, they are calling your attention to what you need and hope for. It can be an opportunity to give yourself over to something you love.