We live in a dangerous world. And fear is a protective emotion that keeps us out of harm’s way. But it’s easy to also start projecting these fears into the future – causing us to now live in the anxiety and dread of what might be. And while there’s wisdom in considering possible future threats, we must not forget to stay grounded in the reality of what is today.
For instance, some kids are afraid to go to the doctor or try a new experience because they’re already anticipating they won’t like it even before they get there. And, to be fair, this is likely connected to some previous bad experience. But now there’s anxiety about anything that looks similar to what was, even when it’s not the same today.
Likewise, we might live in dread of certain conversations with our wife, a meeting with the boss, or certain changes in social policy. On the one hand, we’re rightly using previous experiences to inform our posture moving forward. But this can get overextended when we assume the worst-case scenario in situations not warranted today.
This is when we’ve allowed fear to get the best of us. We’re assuming a threat is imminent, and reacting accordingly, without pausing to consider what’s true right now in this given moment. Perhaps the conversation, meeting, or social change we fear is not as bad as we’re making it out to be.
Of course, sometimes it is. But we still base our responses on the here-and-now reality of what is and not merely our anxious projections of what might be. To be sure, there’s no wisdom in ignoring the real and present threats that come our way. But fear robs us of our strength when we constantly believe the sky is falling without concrete evidence to make this conclusion today.
In the end, keep an eye out for potential danger without living in fear. Courageously fight true threats and not merely the anxiety of what might be.
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