FEAR CAN BE OUR GREATEST TEACHER

Fear is the dragon that protects our deepest hidden treasures (The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying). Sometimes, the dragon holds us back, and sometimes it pushes us forward. It is our greatest protector. There is no need to slay the dragon. Tame it. You are its master.

How does one tame something so wild and fierce? The first thing to do is acknowledge it. Don't turn your back on it. It will sneak up and surprise you if you pretend it isn't there. Next, ask the dragon what it's protecting you from. Why are you afraid? Is what you're afraid of real? Sometimes the dragon isn't able to see clearly through the smoke coming out of its nose, so it may be seeing reality through a smoky haze. Is the dragon's vision being clouded by preconditioned expectations, like the belief that you don't deserve a good outcome? Perhaps its vision is hazy from negative self talk. If the dragon is seeing the outcome through a smoky haze, describe to the dragon what a clear vision of the outcome looks like. Say it out loud. Make clear all the details. How much energy (thought and action) are you directing toward your desired outcome? How much is directed toward your fears?

The dragon is inside of us to help us weigh desire with reason. Heed the dragon. Don't ignore it, don't allow it to rule. Our souls are oftentimes a battlefield between reason and passion. Living by reason alone is too confining, and passion left "unattended is a flame that burns to its own destruction" (Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet).

Here are some tools for taming the dragon.

1. Take whatever goal is scaring you and divide it into smaller, visibly attainable goals.
   
2. Create a positive support system for what you want to create. For example, if you're a writer, join a writer's group.
   
3. Learn to change your perspective on failure. Failure is not bad, it's a learning process.
   
4. Don't allow yourself to be talked out of your vision. Don't give anyone power over your dreams.
   
5. Think positively about your desired outcome. It is ancient wisdom that our thoughts create our reality. "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world". (Gautama Buddha)
   
6. Stop thinking about what might happen in the future. Live now. You're safe in this moment. Trust in the idea that you're exactly where you need to be, at exactly the right time (Wayne Dyer).