sup FEAR?

This weekend I stumbled upon FDR's Four Freedoms on Roosevelt Island: Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom from want. Freedom from fear.   It reminded me of why I started CYA...

First off, I’m under the thinking that no emotion is “bad”. Every emotion gives us useful information that we can better our lives with. So sorry Franklin, we should’t do without fear, rather we should learn what to do WITH fear.

The fear emotion signals potential danger. Think of it as an alarm, like a smoke alarm, that when triggered, wants to be addressed until the perceived danger is assuaged.

Seems obvious that we would want to address the fear alarm, right? I mean, who wants to live with a never ending alarm bell ringing inside our bodies, putting our nervous systems in constant stress? Alas, thats what many of us do :(.

Leaving the fear alarm ringing disrupts our inner peace.  A constant nag that draws our attention away from joy and appreciation, towards anxiety and stress.

That unaddressed fear also prevents us from being ourselves. From being different. From being outside the mainstream. From taking risks. From striving. From pursuing an extraordinary life.   

The alternative to ignoring the fear is to address the fear head on, by saying “sup fear?” Like, “I see you fear, what are you all about?” with curiosity and a “can do” mentality to address it!! 🥳

So how do we address fears so we can turn off the fear alarm and go back to thriving?

Well, some fears we can meditate or think away, like fear of failure. It is possible to rationalize away a fear that is deemed to be “not that big a deal”. But not all fears are created equal.  Some fears are related to severe, imminent consequences that if left unaddressed, lead to bodily harm or financial ruin. An example of this is medical expenses. When we are uninsured or underinsured in America, personal bankruptcy due to medical costs is all too real a possibility. (Medical costs are the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in America.)

This is a fear that ought to be addressed through a real world act, not just contemplation.

Some strategies are really unfortunate. How many of us are stagnating in our safe, yet lame jobs, "because of the health insurance?"  How many of us are holding back from going out on our own because we don't want to be left with overly expensive, unreliable health insurance?

If we had a cost effective alternative to health insurance, what would we do differently? Would we take a shot at making our hobby into our profession? Would we have more mental fortitude to continue pursuing our passion knowing we are covered?

Imagine a world where we all are able to live with inner peacefulness, where we address our fear alarms so they don't rule our minds and bodies.   Imagine a world where we feel at ease to pursue that which inspires us, and brings us fulfillment and meaning. 

I believe this world is a more harmonious world, and one worth striving for. This is the world we are supporting with CYA.