The New Year is a wonderful time of year, for it represents rebirth and new beginnings. While it is tradition to set resolutions for the coming year such as losing weight, traveling, or making more money, our spiritual growth is often put on the back burner during this time of the year. We often chose to focus on physical circumstances and not enough effort goes into becoming healthier, stronger individuals on the inside as well as the out.
One thing that is always talked about but not properly addressed is our fear(s) and how to conquer it once and for all. With a regular outlook, fear is a normal part of life that humans have relied on for survival since the beginning of time. However, from a spiritual perspective, fear is something that we do not have to suffer with as we realize that it is actually a choicein many situations, something we do have control over. For this upcoming new year, I challenge you to set out to face your fears and live a peaceful, fearless life!
Facing Your Fears
As simple as this sounds, this can often be the very thing that eradicates fear quickly and effectively. We give so much power to the things that frighten us, we tend to allow the fear of the actual thing to control and dictate our happiness. By approaching the very situations we're afraid of, we take the power away from it and transform it into a new found confidence and a clearer state of mind.
Try this: Write out everything that you can think of that you're afraid of. Find the simple things on your list that you can easily address such as spiders, fear of flying, or anything tangible, and make it your task to conquer these things. For example, if you're afraid of spiders, visit an insect sanctuary to learn more about them. I guarantee once you've learned about their uniqueness, special traits, and characteristics, the tiny eight-legged creatures become less terrifying. If you have a fear of flying, book a flight to go visit a relative you haven't seen in a while whose presence will bring you joy.
For intangible things such as fear of public speaking, telling a loved one how you really feel, etc. start by doing the inner work to discover why you're afraid of these things in the first place. In a lot of instances, our fears do not actually belong to us and were, in fact, ingrained in us by outer circumstances during our childhood. Write out everything you've ever wanted to say to someone who has wronged you. It feels good to simply acknowledge and address our fears and pain versus trying to run away from them.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” –Nelson Mandela
This new year, let's make it our mission to get rid of everything that limits us from living our happiest, most fulfilling lives. Let's strive to have more faith and less fear and welcome the many blessings the new year has to offer.
Chey Wats,a Shazzy Fitness guest blogger, is a young, Atlanta-based writer who has been creating content for more than four years. After studying screenwriting at Columbia College Hollywood, she realized that she had a passion for creative storytelling. When publishing a few of her poems online, she received great feedback and realized that it was time to take herself serious as a professional writer. With acclaimed pieces such as “Roses From Strangers” and “Black In America”, Chey Wats has proved herself as a force to be reckoned with in the writers community.