Confronting and dealing with fear
When we step onto our path of soul guided evolution, there is frequently one seemingly unwelcome guest that we'll be called upon many times to encounter - fear. Fear is what holds us back from realising our full potential in life. It's what constricts the flow of divine love within us; it dims our inner light. But ALL fear is just a doorway through which to step into a greater expansion. Therefore fear is not to be feared at all but rather embraced as a tool by which to grow. If we can make this internal switch of perception about our fears, we'll find ourselves accelerating faster and faster into full Enlightenment. So how might we confront and deal with fear?...

Nothing but an illusion
I remember once having a powerful dream like experience that helped me understand the true nature of fear. Whilst staying at a friend's house I suddenly awoke in the middle of the night finding myself being compelled to go downstairs. As I gingerly descended the creaking stairway I suddenly became aware of a powerful, dark and unnerving energy coming from the living room; I just knew there was some kind of entity within.

The closer I got, the more deeply foreboding I felt. My stomach churned, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and as my breathing constricted, I was quickly overcome by a rush of nausea. In the terror, movement became restricted and awkward but an inner compulsion somehow carried me forwards and I summoned the nerve to open the door.

As I did so, I was engulfed by an odious stench which left me wretching. All the while though, the inner complusion - my guiding light - called me onwards and somehow it calmed me down. It was of course my soul calling and its sense of gentle and yet dauntless purpose gave me comfort so I pressed onwards.

As I looked sheepishly around the door, I was taken aghast at what befell my eyes - a hideous apparition filled the centre of the room. It was heaving with dark, dense energy, a compacted mass of hate drawing towards it all light and consuming it within. So hideous was it that I couldn't bring myself to look at it full on and yet I still couldn't resist the pull towards it. Clearly my soul was choosing for me to confront my fears.

As I stood right next to it, slowly it turned its head towards me, its blood red eyes engaged mine, its constricting gaze piercing every fibre of my being. I found myself wanting to shrink in its presence so overpowering was its energy. But the quiet inner voice of my soul was seemingly undeterred. I felt like an innocent and helpless lamb in its presence and yet I was not about to be crushed like some fallen petal. I was caused to return the gaze but not with hate...instead with love.

As we fully engaged, waves of realisation began to dawn on me. I knew that for me to experience love within there had to be such energies as this entity I was now confronting. In a Universe that is all one, how can you have one thing without its polar opposite?

Just as I was choosing love, this being had chosen hate so that I and others like me could experience love. Its choice was perhaps the greatest act of love there is. As this realisation landed, I found the love strengthen within me but it wasn't just for me, I was suddenly able to see past the creature's hideous outer skin and pierce to the soul within. In that moment, it recognised the love I had for it, something it had clearly not felt in eons of time. Then something truly amazing happened....I sensed a switch being thrown inside it. It could no longer hold onto all the hate and fear; it was no longer possible for it to be so closed down. Its grasp on tightness suddenly released and it exploded before me into multitudinous fragments of white light.

Needless to say, the experience left a powerful and lasting impression on me. Over the coming days many realisations dawned about the nature of fear itself. Particularly that there are two flows of consciousness within the Universe; the flow out from the source to ever greater experiences of separation experienced as increasing separateness, density and isolation - fear. The other is the flow inwards experienced as ever greater lightness, joy and harmony - love.

Fear is the doorway to love. These fear doorways are purposefully designed to push all our inner buttons perfectly because they were created by the perfect creator - our very own higher self! Without these illusions there would be nothing to hold apart the separateness of the Universe and therefore there would be no experience at all - the Universe would suddenly pop like a vast illusionary bubble.

So how might we deal with fear?

Having encountered fear many times in my life, you might like to try this 10 step approach for dealing with it...

1. Firstly, we must summon the courage to confront our fears whenever and wherever they arise. We might do this by realising that fear is a very special doorway - an opportunity for accelerated growth.
2. If we find the confrontation difficult, we may begin first in a small way confronting all the little fears that life throws up...being late for work, being honest to a partner, approaching the neighbour about something that's not working for us. As these things arise, don't procrastinate but resolve to confront them right away.
3. As we summon the will to deal with the issue, ask "what's the worst possible outcome that could happen here?" and then realising that all is but an illusion, ask "can I be awesomely okay with the worst possible outcome?" remembering even death itself is but a doorway into a greater expansion.
4. When we've summoned the courage to confront our fear, notice the impact it may well have on our system. Does the breathing tighten? Do we feel tight in the stomach or solar plexus? Do we find ourselves choking to speak or does our bodily movement become more constricted? Do we find ourselves playing seemingly uncontrollable mind games with an endless array of possible outcomes and scenarios?
5. If any of the above happen, or indeed any other physical symptoms arise, bring attention deep into the core of our being and breathe deeply. Frequently we forget to breathe fully when confronted by fear.
6. Then deal with each physical symptom as it arises. For example if our body becomes constricted, focus on movement engaging a greater fluidity. If the throat or solar plexus tighten, bring attention into them, open and relax in these places and breathe in light.
7. Open to higher guidance and trust that we are being divinely supported in our actions. Remember that we created every experience we're now having and that there is nothing that we cannot cope with.
8. Follow the guidance, make the choice that confronts the fear and express our highest truth at whatever apparent personal cost.
9. Watch how our actions might invite others to confront their own limitations. Watch for synchronicity supporting our actions or causing inner distortions to be exposed.
10. In the minds eye, visibly step through the doorway marked fear and feel the sense of joy liberation and expansion on the other side.

Can it really be so straight forward? At Openhand we've used the above techniques to help countless 'ordinary people' (we're all extraordinary!) overcome their fears enabling them to do all manner of extraordinary things even walking on burning hot coals or broken glass. Always the sense of expansion and liberation after passing through the doorway marked fear is what people speak of most.

In conclusion...
So in the face of fear, when all seems its most dark and difficult, if we can somehow remain open and trusting, then Benevolent Consciousness will find a way of speaking to us. In one of the most difficult times of my life, when I was seemingly boardering the very edge of sanity itself, the following song synchronistically came to me. I knew the divine was there helping.