Healthy Fear

Summary: Thought we were done discussing fear? Not yet! Today's post continues the series with a look at healthy fears. It also encapsulates some of the other series points.

The Beyond Talk blog series on fear has been extended, as you've seen. I told you I was wrapping up the series three weeks ago, but there's always more to say about fear.

The extension of this series started out with the poll on fear. It's closed now, but the results say no readers want to fess up to an inability to overcome fear. That's good: It means you know that all fears can be overcome, even those we're--yes--frightened to let go of.

I also shared some new vocabulary words (like vigilant and this week's horripilating). And I shared my opinion on the tragic Genovese Bystander Effect. Then as the blog posts moved into the realm of conversation, I began to ask you questions--like, "When have you overcome fear in your life?" And that got me thinking: Sometimes fear is good for you!

Fear, anger and sadness are four of the three basic emotions, and all three are emotions that we're commonly wont to subjugate. In other words, we try to avoid and repress them. But you, reader, told me that you know fear is healthy and normal. I asked, "When is fear healthy?" both here and on Facebook, and you gave me some wonderful examples.

Andy and Jake both took a pragmatic approach:
"Fear is healthy while mountaineering: It keeps you in check," and "When you avoid the hungry bear!" they wrote.

Chad said, "Fear is healthy whenever there is harm that could come to you or the ones you love."

And Ursula summarized it nicely:
"When it moves you forward toward a better place ...."

Each of the basic emotions--glad, mad, sad, scared--is necessary to living. Trying to reject or ignore any of these will only result in an increase of that very emotion you don't want, and likely a variety of the others, too. Remember, accepting your fear is the first step toward overcoming it.

(Want to learn more ways to accept or even recognize fear in your life? Visit www.speak-your-truth.com and download the e-workbook "Speak Your Truth: How to Say What You Mean to Get What You Want".)

© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010