Turn the Lights On

[Fear - I]

Fear gets a bad rap.

In religious circles it’s considered the opposite of faith. (It’s not.) In therapy circles it’s the phobic expression of repressed experiences. (Eh, not always.) In artistic circles it’s the lack of confidence in one’s craft. (I disagree.)

Fear is labeled neurotic.
Considered Ill-based.
Also called paranoia.

But what if fear is the messenger trying to point our attention to something important? What if it's prodding us to ask questions instead of seek assurance and security? Could fear be pointing to a problem (or blind spot) we’re unwilling to look into?

Fear is often a few degrees from discovery, an inch or two from epiphany, and one step from insight . . . if we let it lead.

Sometimes fear just means we should turn the lights on and look around.