Welcome to another Fresh Start Mondays, where we change the narrative… Today, we will take a closer look at the concept of fear and explore how it affects us.
Fear is one of the strongest emotions we experience, it is a natural response to the existence of a threat. The threat of harm may be physical or psychological, it may also be real or imagined. Fear sometimes brings about a crippling factor that leaves us stunned, yet fear can bring us strength.
Fear induces the fight or flight response in individuals and though we all have the same fight or flight response; the perceived positive or negative effects will be highly variable based on the individual.
We will all have experiences where we become fearful. Without even a second thought, we can recall the pandemic we are currently in. Fear motivates us in so many ways, some of us have become so fearful that we are becoming antisocial. We no longer connect with those in our environment, we over look opportunities to be good neighbours and good friends. Yet, there are those who have been able to connect with their neighbours in ways they couldn’t before.
Fear has become a very powerful source of motivation; it is at the heart of countless motives. But how healthy is this? This is called fear motivation by the scholars. So, would you say as long as you’re doing the right thing nothing else counts. Right? But, can this motivation be sustained in the long-term?
Let us look back at the body’s natural response of fight or flight when responding to fear, it’s a short-term response. Our bodies simply can not stay fighting or in flight for extended periods. The fight or flight was designed to deal with immediate or imminent danger then our bodies relax and go back into our routine. Here, we realize that a short-term response cannot sustain us for the long haul.
So, what really happens in fear motivation? Fear motivation is the internal process of moving ourselves from those things we don’t want. Fear makes us uncomfortable and we don’t like to be uncomfortable so we go in the opposite direction and this my friend is fear motivation.
Now, fear is natural and it is important. When we use it properly it can be to our advantage, but when we allow it to consume us to the point of being motivated by it, is where the perils come in. Fear helps us to identify danger so we can deal with it, not to forever be afraid of it.
We must learn to overcome, as the challenges we face in today’s society are ever increasing. Just take a look around us, the new norm is happening right now and is here to stay. The dynamics of society that have been built up over several generations, literally crumbled in a day.
As humans, we are rational beings of thought. Though we know that the only constant in life is change, we are fearful of the unknown, not knowing what tomorrow might bring.
My friend, let us not be motivated by fear to move, but by our own will. Our forefathers before us experienced and survived many changes to get to the point where we are now. Thus, as their heirs, we too should ensure that fear does not consume us and push forward though the darkest time.
Let us strive without fear and change our narrative…
