Fear is a Choice

I first want to point out that I’m completely stealing this line from a preview I saw for After Earth. But the point he made is SO TRUE! Will Smith (I don’t know his character’s name yet) says that danger is very real, but fear is a choice. I think people confuse the two too much. They think you need to be deathly afraid of danger, or else you aren’t acknowledging the danger. Well, for some, they may not be acknowledging the danger. But fear itself is not helpful – in fact it is paralyzing and dangerous when it is strongest.

There is a lot of danger in the world. Criminals, greedy and power-hungry people ready to step on you to get to the top and use you in any way possible; maybe even mentally ill people who have not received enough love and support to manage their illness. People, activities and places can all be very dangerous, but that doesn’t mean you have to live in fear. You just have to be aware. You have to be smart and aware, and ready to tackle whatever comes your way. Plan ahead. Do whatever you can to reduce the danger.

The alternative is unacceptable. The alternative is to stop experiencing anything, and to simply exist. By doing this, you are making yourself more prone to danger, because you are making yourself ignorant to the situations that really happen. Instead of going out there and learning how to deal with things properly, you are sitting in a bubble that may be popped one day without any action on your part, and then you’ll be dropped into deep water when you haven’t been teaching yourself to swim. And you will drown. Not only is that no way to live, but it defeats the purpose of protecting yourself. It could end up biting you in the butt.

So take measures to arm yourself with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle anything that comes your way. Do you know how empowering that is? You are not invincible, but you are also not helpless. You need to have the correct balance in perspective as far as your own capabilities.

Personally, I love watching survival shows, or other shows and movies that have that element in them. Survivorman, Rambo, Surviving Disaster, Man vs Wild, The Walking Dead… they all have an element of knowing how to take care of yourself when all the niceties of our society disappear. I love soaking up all of that knowledge. I have also taken a self-defense course. I need to take more, but it’s a good start.

Be aware of your surroundings and be prepared. That’s how you tackle fear. Fear is a waste of time when you are face-to-face with danger. You need to ACT. You have to put those plans into action and get out of that situation. There is no time for fear. Do what you can to minimize the likelihood of danger, but don’t stop living your life. Gather the tools necessary to handle yourself, act smart, and keep living. Not only will you survive, but you will feel so good about yourself for being competent and badass!