Living Your Life In Fear

-FEAR-

Hi ATS.

Lately I have been noticing a lot of people worried about their futures, and a lot of people thinking and saying things that would have never previously entered their minds if it werent for the troubled and dire times we find ourselves living in these days. Countries all over the planet are finding themselves in positions that they havent seen for a very long time. It is almost as if the world is starting to eat itself amongst all the chaos that is brewing in our global situation. Many nations and many people fighting each other over what seems to many to be the end of what once was thought of as a potentially peaceful world. To many, the dream that everyone could get along has come and gone, and many are now out for themselves for what seems to be hard times closely ahead of now. We dont know when, or how, but we know something just isnt right with the world these days, and that there is very little that most of us can do about it. We scream, and we yell, but it seems as if we are not being heard, as if we were talking to ourselves.
Most of the times these actions and thoughts come not from whats going on around us, but from whats going on inside of us; Fear.

Before I continue, there are some quotes that I would like to share with you all spoken by very influential peoples of our times, so I hope you gather and try to live by some of these words, for they will make your life a little easier on your pursuit to 'Happyness' and not that of 'Fear'.

Bob Dylan:
"I accept chaos. I am not sure whether it accepts me. I know some people are terrified of the bomb. But then some people are terrified to be seen carrying a modern screen magazine. Experience teaches us that silence terrifies people the most."

Don Miguel Ruiz:
"Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive -- the risk to be alive and express what we really are."

Dorothy Thompson:
"The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness."

Eleanor Roosevelt:
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

Gertrude Stein:
"Anything scares me, anything scares anyone but really after all considering how dangerous everything is nothing is really very frightening."

Hannah Arendt:
"Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival."

Henry James:
"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."

Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it."

Rosa Parks:
"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."

William Allen White:
"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today."


Friends, Foes, and those on the fence, I want to try to let you all know, that even in our darkest of days, that we cannot fear what is being dealt to us, for we should already posses in our minds, the ability to adapt to any situation thrown at us.
You fear losing a loved one, I fear not losing a loved one but fear not expressing myself to them before losing them. I dont fear the govts and their agendas, I fear that the people will one day lose the ability to use their fears in order to survive whatever is thrown at them. Fear keeps us strong, it keeps us on our toes, but we cannot allow it to dictate our lives. Fear is a tool for ones soul that allows you to accomplish what you may have thought you never could have in the first place.
Fear my friends, is good if used correctly.

For too long we have been walked on, trampled over, and spit on because we allow ourselves to be. You say we dont have the power, I say the power is in you, all you have to do is find it and use it against those who think to use it against you.
Use the power and the fear as a tool to get yourself wherever you need to be in life. We cannot be afraid of those who dictate the rules, because if we are, we allow them to dictate more than the rules of law, we allow them to dictate us.
No man, woman, or beast can run your life unless you allow them to get into your soul and tear it to pieces. You have to face your fears someday, and when you do, I can tell you that you will start to see your life change very rapidly. If you dont think you can do something because you fear the outcome, or you fear the road to get there, you might as well just stay home and put that .45 cal in your mouth, but the chances are, you are even too afraid to do that. It is for the greater good of mankind that we use our fears in order to achieve absolute harmony amongst ourselves, for if nobody had fear, then nobody would get hurt. The more you use your fears, the more you will start to see that life isnt meant to be lived in it. Do not let the actions of a few dictate your ability to keep a clear and focused mind and soul for when you die, you die alone. Much Love to all those who have read this and let me just say that I think there could be a much brighter world out there if we allow it to be, instead of living your life in fear.


And a few more quotes..

Robert Louis Stevenson:
"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others."

Percy Bysshe Shelley:
"Fear not for the future, weep not for the past."

Marie Curie:
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."

Thomas Jefferson:
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."



[edit on 14-4-2009 by Common Good]

reply to post by Common Good


Well... I like the theory of collective unconscious by Carl Jung. Although I cannot say if it is fact or just another crackpot theory.

Anyhow, I sense a strong negative energy... And cannot say if it is me or the whole society.

I also feel a more positive energy, but it is a lot weaker. Kinda like gets eclipsed by the negativity.

What do you think, is it just me or the society? Even the "collective unconscious"?

To add to your quote list;

'Fear is the great mind killer', George Orwell, '1984'.

Fear was used by the thought police to control individuals deemed subversive. In the book, the central character, Winston was 'reeducated' by the thought police and the medium used to control him, via torture, was his documented fear/phobia about rats.

Originally posted by Common Good

Robert Louis Stevenson:
"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others."
approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

I've had the same thought myself, especially today, after reading and replying to a prediction, in the "MY Story," section of ATS yesterday.

This quote, before you edited it an added to it, seemed to fit how I feel most of all.

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiraton with others," did it for me, even before you added the rest.

Fear mongering sucks!

How about

"Fear is an illusion, but when fear becomes a reality its best to face it head on."

- Willy Nelson

reply to post by Common Good

Lately I have been noticing a lot of people worried about their futures, and a lot of people thinking and saying things that would have never previously entered their minds if it werent for the troubled and dire times we find ourselves living in these days.

I don't really have anything else to contribute to this right now - I just wanted to say that I find it so interesting to hear you say this

I've been noticing the same thing - I hear the most bizarre (and sometimes disturbing) things coming out of the mouths of people - in general

but what really is starting to get to me is some of the things I hear from people I know - know well enough to recognize that what they're saying doesn't sound like them at all

uncertainty freaks people out - and makes them jump at shadows they never would have jumped at before. or they start seeing shadows that weren't there before - maybe aren't there now

this really got my attention - was beginning to wonder if it was just something in my head (always possible) or if other people see it too

now I know :-)

Etsiva

I understand how you feel, and what you are feeling is real. You wouldnt be feeling it if it were not real. There is a lot of negative energy in the air, more so now than in a long time. On the flip side of that arguement, there is also a positive energy comming about due to all of thenegative energy. I think that when people feel negative about certain things in life, that their natural reaction to stabalize that negative energy is to think positive and trying to live a more positive life. Kind of like Yin and yang, you cant have one without the other. The more negative energy that comes about, can only mean that a more positive way of life is certain in our futures. In my opinion.

[edit on 14-4-2009 by Common Good]

not really much to say to this except for S&F good post completely agree there's no need everyone can adapt ...

i hope more people will realize that life's not worth living, if you don't live it!!! ...

[edit on 14-4-2009 by baseball101]

Hey Common,

Nice to read your words. I understand that the masses are trapped
in this mental sandbox, and the wind outside is soaring... thing is,
most people will stuck even further in the sand buying more into
the illusion that we are "free", we need to work even more hard and not
question, and acept that the system needs "adjustments".

But the stakes are higher and higher to the NWO, and we will
see outrageous bills coming with INSANE entertainment, filtered
mass media that propagate alienation.

If we wanna change, maybe the first step is turning off the TV.

I would love to see that, millions of TVs being craked up on the
streets.... People starting to talk to each other, caring. Not that
passive atitute.. 87 people die in plane crash..pff.. ok, whats next.

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


I know! People around me also have been this way. People are freaking out and I just want to slap em in the face and tell em to calm down, but all I can really do is let them know that whatever is thrown at them, they can handle.

In concerns with an unforeseeable future people generally fall into one of the following categories:

Utopians - These are idealists who are able to imagine a promising future that is perfect (or at least more perfect than the present). These are people like Plato, Roger Bacon, Buckminster Fuller.

Dystopians - The flip-side to Utopians are the pessimists that imagine an oppressive, tyrannical future. They seem to greatly outnumber the Utopians and include such people as Ayn Rand, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Margaret Atwood.

Sci-Fi Visionaries - The middle ground between Utopians and Dystopians. They either see the future through rose-colored glasses or through post-Apocalyptic visions, but in either case, regardless of the setting, humanity triumphs in the end.

Prophet/Seer - Through prayer, dreams, magick, or substances, these people are able to obtain clear, although out-of-context, visions of the future. Sometimes their visions are beautiful, sometimes they are nightmarish. Most Prophets or Seers don't interpret their Visions or Dreams, but the Conspiracy Theorists and Religious Apocalyptics (see below) often do, and such are interpreted in ways that align with the beliefs of those particular groups.

Conspiracy Theorist - They've read everything by the Dystopians. They've read more than their fair share of the works of Sci-Fi Visionaries. They've even listened to what the Prophets and Seers have seen. And, believing they are all parts of the same complex puzzle, attempt to fit all those disparate pieces together until they see Machiavellian Manipulators (see below) in every shadow. Their fear isn't so much fear of the future as it is a much more subtle paranoia.

Religious Apocalyptics - They live to interpret the visions of Prophets and Seers and apply it to current events to find signs of the End-Times. To the Religious Apocalyptics the end is always nigh, it is inevitable and utterly unavoidable. The only option is to prepare for the Apocalypse and ascertain the when (and the when is always changing when one unavoidable, inevitable Apocalyptic date passes with much ado about nothing).

Machiavellian Manipulators - They plan hundreds of years into the future. They are more similar to the Utopians than any other category, but rather than just imagine, or write what they imagine, they work tirelessly towards bringing about their own personal Utopia through carefully calculated choices. These are the bogey-men that Conspiracy Theorists have nightmares about. They are the Illuminati, Free-Masons, NWO, Bilderbergers, Greys or any other person in Power that seems to actually have a clue compared to the clueless majority of people in Power.

The Blissfully Ignorant - This is pretty much everyone else. They either are living in the past, living in the moment, or choosing to be ostriches and bury their heads in the sand. Every group above generally classifies any member of any other group into this group as a form of insult. The truth is, other than the Utopians, the members of this group are probably the ones least fearful of the future...even if it is only because they've never really given it a thought.

Granted, silly pigeon-holing and profiling is ridiculous as no person ever falls conveniently in any particular one. So, this isn't meant in any way (other than satirically) to catalog different types of people on this Forum. However, it does conveniently show the Axis of Optimism and Pessimism in regards to the future and the degrees of hopefulness and fear that lie in between.

Just pointing out that not everyone is afraid or fearful of the future.

reply to post by fraterormus


Whats up Frat

Wanted to say thanks for adding something of value to this thread.
I agree with you that not everyone lives their lives in fear.
In the end though, we all have a fear of something, regardless of what that fear is. It is how we handle and use that fear in which we will reshape our futures. If we let those fears be used against us, that is when we are in trouble.
I am not sure what category I fall under in the list you provided, but as I read them, I felt there was a bit in each one of them that I could relate with.
thanks again.

This is a good thread. And I'll tell you....there are a lot of people (most i think) who believe that the more they know the more fearful they will be. But I think for the most part, most of us on this site believe the opposite. I know I do at least. Because I learn as much as I can about "them" and what "they" are causing in this world. But I also learn as much or more about who I am and what my role is and my capability of handling anything that comes my way. By opening my mind to every possible possibility I no longer fear anything or any scenario. A little fear is ok though because it can serve as a warning. But I think mostly it is the fear of the unknown and that is what I strive everyday to alleviate through knowledge. The way I look at it. We are at an unprecedented time in history and whatever happens it will be one hell of a ride. It ain't gonna be boring!

reply to post by Common Good


here's another quote to add to your list:

About the nature of fear:

There are two fundamental human emotions, from which all feelings spring: Love and Fear.

Fear generally leads to undesirable results, whereas love leads to desirable results; fear destroys, love creates.

This dichotomy is the key to all human behavior. Fear gives rise to anger, depression, greed, intolerance, prejudice, and turns love into hate. Love gives rise to jubilation, happiness, selflessness, compassion, understanding, and can be perverted into hate by fear. Ignorance promotes fear, and wisdom promotes love.

With that in mind, why do we have the fearful world we have? Because most people operate based on fear. Most people lives lives of avoidance of negative things rather than searching for positive things. We all know fear, and we all know love. The universe is neutral. Negatives and positives are relative and artificial. You get what you create. Fear is used to control people, both from within and without. Governments throughout time have used fear to keep people in line. The media uses it as well, in order to keep people watching, and therefore to generate more revenue. Religions have always used fear in order to inspire obedience. Corporations use fear to sell products - an example is the pharmaceutical industry, which uses fear of disease and other health problems to sell their drugs.

Fear is based on ignorance because it is fundamentally concerned with the unknown. If you're afraid of something, you're afraid of what could happen in the future at some point, near or far. Since you don't know what that is, or if it is going to happen or not, you become afraid. If you were not ignorant of this, or simply trusted in your own life, you would not be afraid. Paranoia is based on a lack of trust. You don't trust other people, and when you don't trust other people, it is really because you lack trust in yourself. So self-confidence is one way to combat paranoia.

Another basic fear is the fear of loss. If you fear losing something, this gives rise to all sorts of potentially harmful emotions, such as greed, jealousy, anger, hatred, and so on. It is also based on attachment - if you were not attached to what you feared to lose, you would not fear losing it. You would let it go. So attachment to things, people, situations, etc. leads to fear of losing them.

Fear is concerned with the ego. Fear is selfish, even if you are afraid for someone else's sake, say a loved one. You are attached to them, and that attachment is a form of selfishness. This is where love and fear can intersect. The ego makes us hold onto things, but we do have the option of letting go - both of externals and ourselves. That requires trust and self-confidence, but it erases fear and anxiety.

Fear enslaves, love frees. If you let go, you are free to focus on love. If you are crippled by fear, you are not free. Conspiracies (real or fake) if they are believed, create fear. You have lost before you even started. Whether you are holed up in your bunker armed and ready for the end of days or glued to the computer screen researching demons and psychic vampires, if you believe this stuff, and respond that way, you are afraid, and are therefore a prisoner whether the conspiracy theory is correct or not.

However, if you take a lighthearted stance to most of this stuff, you are good to go. As for the real bits of information, simply approach them with enthusiastic curiosity, and away goes the fear. You can only be afraid if you allow yourself to be afraid.

what i thought was a brilliant post on the subject of fear, by ATS member CrowServo.

source: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Nice thread to read through, s&f for you.

[edit on 15-4-2009 by MCoG1980]

Good thread!
I would have to say the world is run by fear!
What else would would do it so nicely for them? Really.
Keep the peeps scared of something all the time.....
It seems like it is and has been the basis of our entire policy!
Oh, that and plain ol' greed!

To the posters above, thanks

A lot of people are hurting right now in many more ways than a lot of us can imagine. And they do have a right to be afraid, they have been set up for such. However they need to recognize within themselves where their own fears really lies.
We dont have to be afraid, and after some thought on the subject the other night, I was wondering where the fear emotion came from? Was it handed to us by our parents, grandparents and so on? Were we born to fear? On the same note, were we born to love? I believe in the black/white theory that you cannot have one without the other.
Its a weird world we find ourselves in.

Due to fortune, misfortune, fate, or as my mother would suggest, some of my more misspent, poorly derived decisions, I've found myself in some rather extended lethal environments.

The only reason I can explain my survival when so many around me perished was that I was always anticipating the worst, and I was never taken by surprise. Fearful and careful are generally interchangeable terms.

I found fear to be a fair companion, an enabler, a motivator, a reliable source of security and necessity.

When Jackson stated, "take no counsel of your fears," his emphasis was on COUNSEL.

There will always be fears and uncertainties, especially for the prudent, but unnecessary worry clouds our judgment, and inhibits our ability to overcome the trials.

There is no problem that can't be worked. To date, there has been no threat that cannot be eliminated, circumvented, or bypassed. But one must have a clear mind, anxious for active and often forceful effort for the purpose of resolution.

Fear?

It's a necessity.

reply to post by dooper


I agree Dooper. Fear is the utencil next to the steak knives in the kitchen drawer. Dont be afraid to use it, its there for a reason.
I had a fear of oceans and lakes, and other big bodies of water, so I was never a really good swimmer. Truth was, I really didnt know how to swim.
The only thing that made me face that fear was because of someone else, pushing down on my head with a size 10 underwater until I learned. That and throwing me off the highest diving board the military could find also helped break that fear for a while...until it came back cause I still hate water and am terrified of the ocean. Would I still go in the ocean? Eh, maybe, but I will still always have that fear eventhough I now know how to swim.

In chaos and complexity theory, it's natural for breakdowns to occur prior to the emergence of a new and better way or map, like a seed which eventually breaks apart and becomes something new. It's normal, natural and part of the evolutionary process. Think of everything that's painful which has been going on, as birth pangs of a woman about to give birth.

"The more that suffering carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."
~ Kahlil Gibran

reply to post by fraterormus

In concerns with an unforeseeable future people generally fall into one of the following categories...

You forgot the category 'realist'.

Realist Recognizes that the future will probably be a bit like the past, only with more people and more technology; that catastrophes foreseen (such as climate change or Malthusian disaster) or unforeseen will continue to happen; that human nature will probably never change but that it doesn't matter anyway, because decisions about the future have never been up to human beings to make but are the outcome of natural processes over which we have no control; and that by and large, human beings will continue to refuse to recognize these truths and go on striving to build the futures of their dreams; and that much good and evil will come of this stubbornness. Isn't worried about it.

About fear: my ex-wife says that when you overcome your fear, life opens up like a flower. She is right.

* * *

Nice post, dooper, by the way. Star for you. Nice to find something we're in 100% agreement on.