Saturday Musings - Overcoming Fear

The world is in the grip of fear....how can you overcome it?

The grip of fear for an individual can be completely debilitating, it’s often less about being rational and more about fight or flight. When fear takes hold of a nation then seems to become almost alive.

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As we’ve seen in the recent COVID 19 pandemic, fear has caused people to buy-up toilet paper, rush to clean out supermarket shelves, have fist fights over trivial issues and even protest about social isolation.

One of my favorite science fiction books, Dune by Frank Herbert, will later this year be released as a movie. Within its pages the author espoused the following about fear.

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The question I would ask you this weekend is whether your own thinking is being subsumed by an underlying level of fear. Some of the fears may be completely rational, like, will I lose my job this week, well others turn a mole hill into a mountain. Maybe it’s time to let fear pass through you and remain standing alone without it?

When you look at the world there is a consistent theme of stress, heightened anxiety, depression and sadly suicide….many of these emotions have their roots in fear. Maybe it’s time to put aside fear and develop an attitude of gratitude for what we do have rather than for what may happen?

I hope you enjoy this video as I share my thoughts on fear. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to the video or click on the alerts so you don’t miss out on future blogs.

Have a great weekend.
Michael

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Wolftalker
Most people who get their 'information' from Murdoch news outlets see this as: Forget Everything And Run On the other hand, tho... Read More
03 May 2020
mgilmour
Love the ancronyms!
04 May 2020
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Saturday Musings - Dealing With Bad Behaviour

Cutting through the emotional FOG is difficult.

Do you ever put up with people that just treat you badly? Maybe their work colleagues, friends or even family members. They seem to believe that they can treat you in whatever manner they like, while you have to obey a series of rules that they impose upon you.

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I had a situation like this and it was really perplexing how to first of all identify the bad behaviour and then take action to prevent it from happening in the future. Remember, you can never change the other person, but you can change your own behaviour in how you will relate to them into the future.

As a part of my research into how to deal with my own personal situation I read a great article that really helped me in identifying bad behaviour. In essence the article pointed out that when you feel confused in a personal situation that it’s often due to FOG (Fear, Obligation, Guilt).

Fear – the other person tries to level a degree of fear on your life. This could be fear of losing a client, job, a loved one or anything that will make you apprehensive.

Obligation – they will then explain in detail how you owe them or others and that you should alter your behaviour accordingly.

Guilt – making you feel guilty for not doing something they want you to do is a great weapon in their arsenal. They will often say things like, “How do you think this will impact your children?” See this for what it is, guilt.

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Rawgi
Having dealt with a bully in the workplace, it can be frustrating, but the best advice is to remove yourself from the situation.... Read More
21 March 2019
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Saturday Musings - State of Fear

Are you driven by fear? Some would say that more than any other time in human history we are captured in a grip of fear. If you really think about it, we’re scared, worried, and stressed by about everything.

Before you say, “Michael, I’m pretty relaxed about life”, let me lob a few fears at you.

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Will I keep my job in these uncertain times? I’m feeling older, will my next medical checkup reveal anything? Do my kids really love me? Why can’t I find the special someone to spend the rest of my life with? Is it safe to travel? Will Google stop paying out on traffic domains? Why haven’t I had a domain sale lately? Will I have enough money for the mortgage this month? The list goes on and on…..and at the heart of it all is fear.

Let me share with you some good news. Compared to any other time in human history we live in the most remarkable. We live longer and have better standards of living. Go back less than 100 years ago and having a toilet inside the house that flushed was a rarity. Many diseases still ravaged the majority of the people on the planet and the wonder drug called penicillin had only just been discovered (by accident).

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According to Business Insider, you are more likely to die from being eaten by a shark than blown up by a terrorist and an asteroi... Read More
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mgilmour
I think that Business Insider was talking about the odds of being killed by terrorists versus sharks. This has not much to do with... Read More
07 August 2017
Guest — Nik
Fear of what!!! you did not come with any thing and you will not leave this world with any thing. you are in every thing and ever... Read More
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Saturday Musings - In a World Gripped By Fear

Sadly, when I look at the world today I see that it’s largely been caught up in the hysteria of fear. It’s questions like the following that seem to be plaguing everyones mind as the media pumps out an endless litany of terror.

Who will win the presidential race? Does that person walking down the street carry a gun? What are the implications of Brexit? Will I keep my job? Will my kids love me when they’re older?

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Like the USA, Australia is in the middle of a federal election campaign. The two major parties here have finally devolved into, you guessed it, fear campaigns. You can almost feel fear's icy tentacles grip the nation as the attack commercials are shown time and time again on the television. It’s really quite sad.

Being bound by fear of the future and what may happen can be debilitating. One of my favourite science fiction books is Dune by Frank Herbert. In the book there is the following quote:

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The quotation takes a stand against fear and states exactly what it is, a mind-killer that brings death and destruction. So how do you overcome your fears?

I was recently traveling on a packed bus in Amsterdam and an odd thought crossed my mind as a looked on a lady with wearing a haj, “If she has a bomb vest on I would never know.” It was ridiculous, full of bigotry and most of all fear. How do I quickly get off the bus? Will I have time? Am I right with my maker?

All these thoughts rushed through my head until I mentally faced my completely irrational fear not with mental fortitude or grim determination but with love. I decided to look on the people around me not as faceless individuals but as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children. The woman wearing the haj wasn’t nearly so scary anymore. Suddenly, my fear evaporated and instead I found myself smiling at those around me (they probably thought I was crazy – LOL).

There’s a great quote from the Bible which says, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” President John F Kennedy said, “It’s amoral when men and women of good conscience fail to act.”

So in these turbulent times make a decision to show your love for your neighbour, your friends, work colleagues or even the stranger down the street. Together, if we stand against fear we can make a better world, despite our leaders, a world that we can enjoy with our loved ones.

Have a great weekend.

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Wolftalker
- and Dune is a classic.
25 June 2016
mgilmour
One of my favourite books!
26 June 2016
Guest — Jeff Schneider
Hello Michael, Great Revelation Kudos, FEAR is a Multi-Trillion$ Industry. Fear as a Sales Closer is used constantly. Insurance, ... Read More
26 June 2016
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