Release Fear, Learn to Trust

"We must eradicate from the soul all fear and terror of what comes towards us from the future. We must acquire serenity in all feelings and sensations about the future. We must look forward with absolute equanimity to everything that may come. And we must think only that whatever comes is given to us by a world-directive full of wisdom. It is part of what we must learn in this age, namely, to live out of pure trust, without any security in existence - trust in the ever-present help of the spiritual world. Truly, nothing else will do if our courage is not to fail us. Therefore, let us discipline our will and let us seek the awakening from within ourselves, every morning and every evening." 
~Rudolf Steiner

Fear can be sparked by anything; money, natural disasters, illness, and – interestingly enough – thoughts of the future. Where some might respond with fear, others may be mildly entertained, have no reaction at all, or have an entirely different reaction. Yet, there are common responses to life’s challenges (or perceived dangers), and fear tends to be a typical one.

When people respond to circumstances with fear, it can leave a deep impression in their soul. This impression can be so embedded, they can become fearful about things that might happen. Rather than looking to the future with hope, or even neutrality, they look to the future with fear.

In these times, as the economy continues to plunge, Mother Earth helplessly bleeds oil, and wars rage on, fears can certainly arise for all of us. Many wonder, “How am I going to get through all this? What’s going to happen to my money/life/our planet? What does our future hold for us?”
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Perhaps these trying times are trying to help us work through our fears. Or maybe its time to release fear altogether.

Whether its money, the earth or some other issue that hangs heavy on our hearts, we are experiencing a shake up of our foundations, our primary sources of security. Thus, we can be consumed by fear.

In this state, we may not remember all the times we landed on our feet, were taken care of by Spirit, or how things turned out fine.  We begin to believe that we are truly in danger.

Realistically, the chances of your survival are actually pretty good. Likely, you’re not going to die soon, or even end up impoverished on the streets.  Although most of us survive hardships, many of us still fear the future and the unknown. Living with fear is not good for the body, mind or soul. It does not need to be part of our lives.

What if – instead of living with fear – we learned “to live out of pure trust”?

Imagine living your life with “trust in the ever-present help of the spiritual world.” This does not mean that life won’t have its down times once you learn to trust. It simply means that you learn to trust in the flow of life knowing there are both down and up times and you don’t have to control, fight or fear them.

Trust does take courage: the strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. In fact, “courage” has its Latin (“cor”) and French (“coeur”) roots in the word for “heart.” By tuning into our heart, we can connect with our courage. And, when fears arise, we can discipline our will by bringing ourselves back to our heart center, again and again, as needed.

One simple exercise you can try is to place your hand on our heart and breathe deeply into your heart center. Feel it, notice any fears, and take a few more deep breaths. Be mindful of the present moment, releasing all thoughts of the past or future. Activate each of your senses: with eyes closed, notice what your inner vision sees in your heart; with each breath, take note of the scents in the air, and so on. Recite a prayer of trust or surrender, such as The Serenity Prayer or a heart-felt spontaneous prayer of your own.

To develop trust takes willingness as well as discipline. If you are ready to “eradicate from the soul all fear and terror of what comes towards us from the future,” this simple exercise is just one way to begin. By connecting to your own heart, by awakening from within yourself, you will begin to feel the trust that resides there. And, if you are willing, you can do it “every morning and every evening.”

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