Today, I was struck by how much fear surrounds us. It seems to be sown into almost every aspect of our lives. And rooting it out may become more difficult than we realize because it has become so commonplace that we often don't even realize that it's a fear thought when it confronts us.
I was just reading one of those dire predictions about the American economy that abound these days. Now to be fair, you don't sell investment advice unless you appeal to either fear or greed - and fear has proven itself the most effective at drawing people in. Yet I was taken at how unabashed the author was at trying to instill panic. And if you panicked properly, you had to purchase his advice. Then, I realized that this tendency toward panic is almost epidemic in all of life. In fact, staying calm and centered seems to be the main challenge of this current time period.
I'm not talking about "head in the sand" calmness. After all I'll be the 1st to tell you that we live in an era of major change that I believe to be almost unparalleled in human experience. If you want to panic, I agree that you can choose any one of a hundred relatively valid reasons. But what comes to mind is the quote from the science fiction classic, DUNE, "Fear is the Mind Killer!" Notice the speaker doesn't say it is groundless. He simply states that it robs you of your ability to handle the challenge at your peak performance. If you want to run your life on fear, you are free to. However, it will freeze your ability to respond constructively. If you refuse to give fear a home in your consciousness you are free to succeed even in situations where the odds may be against you. You are free to see and take advantage of the one opportunity that you have to make something good out of what otherwise would most certainly become disaster.
I'm actually going to quote scripture here because it totally applies. Jesus says (Matt 6:34) "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself, Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." Fear is almost always about tomorrow or at least what's coming next. And there are options opening up in the next moment that you may be unaware of in the present.
So, should we never prepare? Yes, Prepare! Preparation is a wonderful NOW activity, even if your preparations are made useless in the next moment. The important thing is to do the best you can with the moments you have right now and the tasks that are before you right now. Fear makes you impotent because there is absolutely nothing you can do about a circumstance that has not yet presented itself except prepare. The future is filled with unknowns that make us feel powerless. But feeling powerless isn't all that bad if it reminds us to continually place our lives in the hands of the One Presence that always holds all the Power - a Presence that Loves us and wants for us our Highest Good - even when we don't know what that is.
So are we on the verge of devastating financial Hell? Who knows? I take relief from the fact that the doomsdayers are almost always early, even in those rare times when they are correct. And, by the time it does unfold the options have generally changed and there are alternatives they never would have thought of. However, this train of thought addresses the wrong question.
There will always be change, even disaster, across our globe, and occassionally right in our midst. The state of civilization is always in flux. Nothing is secure - except for that One Presence. I guess we need to remind ourselves almost constantly that God is in charge no matter what we may have to face. And, that we are spiritual beings and can face whatever life insists we must. My job is to ENJOY the journey each day.
If you can touch the Peace inside of you that Jesus referred to when he said, "Peace I leave with you... not as the world gives, I give to you." - a Peace that comes from within not from outside situations!!! - then you are prepared to grab and climb any rope that life throws your way. And you will be vigilant enough to not let it fly by un-noticed. Do you KNOW that God always throws you a rope? I suppose in the current state of our civilization, that's something we all could improve on.
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