The Greatest Fear-1
Beyond the fear of unknown, of death, loss, of failure and rejection lies another fear. The greatest fear. Read on.
“I'm scared every time I go into the ring, but it's how you handle it. What you have to do is plant your feet, bite down on your mouthpiece and say, 'Let's go.' ” These are the words of Mike Tyson. To think about it, that's what it boils down to: 'Let's go.' Action is the most potent antidote to fear.
If you look around, you'll discover that most people spend their entire lives in fear. Many are plagued with the fear of loss, of rejection, of failure, some also have the fear of getting old, but this not what I'm talking about. I've observed there's a fear that easily dwarfs all these put together. And, no, I don't think that the fear of death is the greatest fear, it may be the most inevitable but we don't live our lives constantly worrying about death. Do we? Sooner or later, everyone accepts it.
In fact, I once read an interview by a doctor who worked in a hospice. He said what amazed him the most was that in his career spanning 40 years, he never saw fear or struggle in the eyes of a terminally ill patient. They lived in acceptance and their faces had the peace and glow of a sleeping child, especially in their final moments.
The base fear I'm alluding to is not instinctive, it's not innate, we are not born with it, it's something we learn, subtly, steadily, slowly. It is so powerful that over a period of time it becomes a part of our nature. If life was a language and each type of fear was a letter, the one I'm referring to would be the alphabet — it contains all other fears.
It's the fear of happiness. Yes, that's our primary fear.
From the moment you are born, you are weighed on a scale of comparison. Teachers, parents, preachers, relatives, peers, friends, society — sometimes with all the good intentions — constantly remind you of your shortcomings. We are eternally analyzing ourselves not against our own progress but against the capabilities of others.
He dances better than I do, she's more intelligent, he's stronger, she's prettier, he's richer and so forth. This comparison is rarely inspiring and mostly demeaning. It makes you feel you belong to the lowest rung of the ladder. We live in a world where not effort but attainment is rewarded.
If you score a second place and miss the first by the tiniest possible fraction, it's not good enough. You are unlikely to be congratulated for your individual performance, instead you are consoled that at least you got the second place. This comparison makes you feel that you are not quite there yet. That your effort wasn't good enough. And this has an incriminating effect on our well-being.
Om Namah Shivay
No comments:
Post a Comment