Exploring my fears of the future is worthwhile because it shows me what’s important today. In the past, I was not only afraid of the future, but also afraid of being afraid. This is a dangerous combination. Dangerous because if I am afraid of being afraid, I will not confront my fear, I won’t look at it objectively and see how I can resolve it. Instead, I will hide from it by finding some temporary distraction that diverts my attention.
Curiously, if I’m not willing to face my fears, to be honest about my fears, then those fears are more likely to become manifest. Isn’t that interesting? There’s something quite magical that happens here, even though it can be perceived as a negative magic, where, my avoidance of what I fear actually brings it closer to me. Actually, this isn’t negative at all, it’s actually quite positive, in my view.
This situation is positive because it’s Life’s way of helping me move beyond my fears. Life knows that my fears are holding me back from experiencing more of what my heart craves. The more I run from fear, it chases me. The fear chases me while screaming, “Hey! Look at me, please! I’m not what you think I am, I’m actually here to help you!”
How many times have we played this game? Avoiding what we fear, only to finally one day face it, see it more clearly, and ultimately discover it’s not what we thought? This deeper clarity allowed us to walk through the fear, even though we still might have been scared, and come out the other side with more love, compassion, and freedom.
You see, fear was actually pointing the way. It showed me where I was limiting myself and revealing my next opportunity for expansion. Fear was inviting my conscious participation, a participation that was willing to embark on a grand adventure, to help me grow, expand, and experience a new depth of life as a human being.
There is nothing to fear in fear, for it is simply a doorway to walk through. However, before we can pass through this doorway, we must first recognize the fear and let it show us the door.
The Doorway of Fear
As it relates to fears about tomorrow (the future), the fears are pointing me to see where I’m not consciously participating, today, in the creation of my tomorrow and future. Interestingly, the fears are actually pointing me toward a more present-moment way of living. The fears are inviting me to focus on what’s important now, for me to live a life that honors the sincerity of my heart.
This isn’t so much about making the future look a certain way, it’s more about honoring the life I’m currently living now. What I find, for myself, is that my future fears amplify how I’m not currently living in alignment with what’s sincere and possible for me now. The fears point toward how I’m limiting myself.
Don’t I want to see these things? Of course, I do. Are they scary? Well, yeah, a bit, but they are also deeply interesting. It’s like asking life for support, “Dear life, help me see more clearly. Help me see where I can improve, and where I can learn and grow so that I might experience more of what I crave.”
Do you know what life says? “Okay, look at your fears, they are showing you what needs your loving attention.”
Conscious Participation
Look, here’s the deal (from my perspective). The opportunity in this life is to participate consciously. This is like waking up to your sovereignty, waking up to see that you’re not a cog in the machine, or that you’re not controlled by external factors. In fact, you are a conscious human being that’s here to create, grow, and play. You’re here to both wake up to this fact and embody this discovery to whatever degree you can.
Here is a short exercise on what I do to examine my future fears and then consciously participate (plan).
3 Steps Exercise
- Identify the Future Fear
- [Write the fear]
- The Practical Pointer
What is the fear pointing me to see, as it relates to how or where I’m not honoring my life now?
- [Write here]
- TIP: This is like seeing where I’m distracted, hiding, or engaged in habits or behaviors to fuel the potential manifestation of the fear.
- The Conscious Participation
What are three small things I can do every day or every week that begins to turn the tide of this fear?
- [Create list]
- [Plan accordingly | Conscious participation]
