Fear comes into awareness as anxiety, insecurity,
apprehensiveness, nervousness, or paranoia. We become fixated on issues
of work, money, health, physical protection, and life itself. A certain
amount of fear is necessary to survive in the world. Fear protects us. When
fear is integrated, cautiousness and groundedness result, balanced with
the instinct to provide for basic survival needs. Our impulses are tempered;
we are sensible.
Unintegrated, we fear fear itself. We don’t
allow for fear as part of our groundedness; we reject and resist fear. We
perceive fear as undesirable, something that should be eliminated instead
of occupying a balanced place in our lives. In being motivated to eliminate
fear, we suppress it. Fear builds in the subconscious until we become obsessed.
We start projecting onto inappropriate situations and actually attract situations
to us that correspond to the fear.
Fear cannot be defeated
by manipulating reality
It may take many years to learn that no matter what
we do externally to fight fear, it will never be enough. Fear will always
remain, because it is within. Some people never learn this. They spend their
entire lives being motivated by fear, never eliminating it. Fear does not
go away just because we make changes. It’s true that we may find apparent
temporary relief in a certain area, but the fear will emerge in another
area. We just change the object onto which it is projected.
For example, you may have financial needs, but you
project onto the situation and feel stress out of proportion. You become
further confused and anxious when you find that it is not possible to satisfy
your “needs,” no matter how much money you acquire. Your income
may increase, but on the psychic level, your suppressed fears keep bringing
you more expenses. You never get ahead. It is not the situation that is
causing the stress but the suppressed feelings. Moreover, when we allow
ourselves to be motivated by fear, we become dependent on whatever means
we use to combat the fear, which leads to more insecurity and unrest.
Using other people as a means to eliminate fear results
in unhealthy dependent relationships. We become resentful of our dependence,
and it becomes impossible to maintain love. Unfortunately, fear is one of
the main reasons for relationships today. We turn to relationships to try
to eliminate fears regarding security, finances, loneliness, self-esteem,
or sexual lack. We must learn that we can never escape from fear by means
of buffers. Our fears are compulsive and must be integrated, not fought.
Are you being motivated
by fear or love?
We need to be aware – it is all too easy to
be unconsciously motivated by fear. To check your motivation, simply ask
yourself whether you are being motivated by fear or by love. These are the
two major types of motivation. When fear is the motivation, our interest
is in the results of the activity; we don’t really enjoy the activity
itself. When love is the motivation, we do whatever we do because of the
joy in the doing. We express our love in the doing. Any kind of reward is
secondary.
It is possible to live a life based on the motivation
of love, but not many of us achieve this. We are almost entirely motivated
by fear. Fear on the Survival level usually comes into consciousness as
anxiety about money and security, leading to greed and selfishness. Of course,
we need money to survive, but if we were motivated by love, the money would
follow. You may want to look closely at whether fear or love is ruling you.
If you can add just a little each day to being motivated by love, your life
can transform. Note that this doesn’t mean being motivated by the
fear of not having or losing a “loving” relationship.
The problem is that we can’t be motivated by
love when we hold suppressed fear. To be motivated by love, you must first
clear the fear; otherwise, fear always will creep into your motivation.
Facing and integrating the fear will result in its eventual balance.
Accept and experience your fear
Fear is integrated like any other emotion. When you
feel anxious or insecure, or are about to make a decision or be motivated
in order to eliminate fear, stop and process first. If you have a chronic
fear problem, you will have to do this over a period of time. Work with
all emotions related to the Survival center, such as anxiety about loss
of property or possessions, the compulsive desire for protection, insecurity
in general, and the ultimate fear of death. Do not blame anyone, including
yourself, for your situation.
Always remember to breathe into the emotion. Breathe
directly into the Survival center. Use bodywork to free up the energy congestion
in the root chakra. Bring light into the area, and clear negativity by grounding.
Emphasize working in the Survival center in your practice if fear is a particular
problem for you. You will bring about the condition of being motivated by
love.
