The more we prepare to face our fear, the more likely we are to suffer from it. We never truly fear outcomes. We fear what those outcomes would mean for us. Yet most of us go on with life as if it’s an outcome that matters the most. For instance, we don’t want to get sick, we don’t want to lose our job, we don’t want to be left by our partners. All these are outcomes, and we fear them deeply. But are we really scared of these outcomes, or deep down, the fear is how we would react to them? We know that we aren’t capable of going through these things, and therefore we fear those outcomes. When we fear something our mind becomes obsessed with it. It begins to live the fear even before it has happened. This build up and preparation is exhausting to the mind. If the event or the outcome actually happens, we have already exhausted all the mental resources we needed to respond to it in real time. Our intention was to prepare so as not to suffer, but this preparation is what ensures the exact opposite. Preparing not to suffer in the future, is the best way to invite suffering into our lives. So the more we fear something, the more likely it is that we will suffer from it, if the event were to happen in reality. What matters is NOT how prepared we are, but how we actually act when the time comes. If you look back at painful incidents in the past, you’ll realize that you were strong enough to survive them only because you had no idea that they were coming. Medical professionals know this very well. That’s why they distract the patients before administering a shot. A better way then is to relax in the moment knowing that preparation is not always the right answer. Surely we must plan for an emergency, but worry and fear arising from such planning should be an indication that we are over-preparing. The key is to consciously let go of psychological preparation for something we are afraid of. That is, taking practical steps which may be necessary - like eating healthy to not get sick- but not mentally preparing to not get sick. — finding awareness #fear #suffering #findingawareness https://www.instagram.com/p/CoPoTV0OwD3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
