May, 2012

*******************************************************

Refuse to be Afraid!

Download Newsletter – May,2012

When we’re stressed or anxious…

This past winter, I became more conscious of any stress I was feeling. My self-awareness has increased to the point where I’m attentive to signals in my body, like a faster heart rate, shallow breathing, indigestion or insomnia. There are many other symptoms that are anxiety related. What are yours?

Whatever the form of worry, whatever your corresponding ailments, it all boils down to being afraid. What was I afraid of this winter? The reasons were varied: concerns about upcoming meetings with my charity committee, anxiety about timing (would I have enough time to do the things I was committed to doing?), worry about a fundraising event I was helping to plan, stress about having my social calendar either empty or too full, fears about my mother’s health and her needs in Canada. Looking back, I realize that all of these things resolved themselves quite easily, and even at the time I began to realize that they were not worth the effort of feeling stressed or anxious. Those feelings were helping no one, least of all me, and I got tired of being afraid.

We can let fear rule our lives. For many people, unfortunately, it does. They worry about everything, from the moment they get up in the morning to the minute they fall asleep at night. And then they wake up in the middle of the night to worry some more. Typically these individuals have more physical problems than I did; habitual worriers are usually quite ill with chronic ailments. You can find more specific information about these in my book, Why I Canceled My Health Insurance. But the bottom line is that we don’t have to let fear take charge.

Refuse to be Stressed or Afraid!

Fear originates in the human ego, the part of the mind that continually brings up frightening things. It convinces you that the world is a scary place. But you are more than human, you are divine, and the other part of the mind is your Divine Mind. The Divine Mind can overcome and rule the ego, eliminating fear.

When I found myself fearful, I began to speak from my Divine Mind and say, “I refuse to be afraid!” It was like doing battle with myself, but the more I said it the more it helped. I began to feel empowered, more in charge of my life. I realized that I was, in fact, in control, and did not need to allow the ego to rule my existence.

Challenge the stress in your life! There is no need for you to be a victim of the ego, no need for you to feel constant tension. When you notice anxiety in your thinking or body, repeat, “I refuse to be afraid.” Do this often.

At the same time, claim your divinity. Use powerful affirmations to steer your thinking and feeling into a more productive way of being.

Consider the following affirmations:

• I am strong. I am safe. I am Spirit.
• I am in control of my life.
• I am calm and collected.
• I am peaceful.
• I have no reason to fear.
• All is well in my world.

You can use any of these, or you can make up your own affirmations – words that give you confidence and keep the ego at bay. There is no need, truly, to be afraid.

Written by Agneta Dyck, author of Why I Canceled My Health Insurance.

All rights reserved.