Hello and happy Halloween!
This is Teresa Conte and today I'd like to talk with you about not letting our fears spook us.
But first,
As always,
A quote.
This one comes from Max from Hocus Pocus.
He said,
It's all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.
Halloween brings up wonderful childhood memories of going out trick-or-treating for all hours of the day and night,
Particularly on weekends as there was no school the next day,
And bringing home oodles of candy,
A child's pure delight.
Dressing in scary costumes,
I was always a witch but not the scary kind,
We knew that underneath what looked frightening externally,
Like blood dripping down someone's face or an axe verbally planted in someone's head,
Was just another kid having fun pretending to be something she or he only fantasized about.
We got to act out our deepest wishes and perhaps our fears along with the desire to fulfill a part of ourselves we may have thought was lacking,
Like courage to scare away the monsters.
If you were into watching creepy Halloween movies,
You may even have woken up in the wee hours of the morning with nightmares thinking the images you saw were real.
The acronym F-E-A-R stands for false evidence appearing real.
Like the costumes we and our friends wore and the scary movies that frightened us.
For instance,
I'm thinking of the Shining with Jack Nicholson.
I couldn't even make it through the first five minutes.
I was so freaked out.
Our fears can spook us,
Keep us living small,
And prevent us from pursuing our dreams and welcoming life's callings.
But what if our fears,
Like those false images,
Are an illusion?
What if they're nothing more than the brain's negativity bias doing its best to protect us?
Of course we must be mindful of real threats,
Like putting our head in a lion's mouth or remaining in abusive relationships.
But as science tells us,
91% of what we worry about never happens.
And of the remaining 8%,
6% turns out better than we thought.
Is there something spooking you?
If so,
Here are a few tips to help you sort through the process.
One,
Name it.
For instance,
What are you afraid of?
What are you afraid might happen?
Two,
What,
If anything,
Can you do about it?
Three,
Stay in the moment.
Four,
Let go of the past.
Five,
Let go of the future.
Back in the day,
We used to call that future tripping.
Six,
Invite your higher self,
Your higher power,
Angels,
Whatever it is you call,
What is bigger than yourself,
Into the situation.
Seven,
What wisdom or guidance is your intuition providing you?
Here's a tip.
Your intuition will feel certain and right.
If you're arguing with yourself or feeling anxious,
That's your fear talking.
Eight,
If feeling immobilized,
Reach out for support.
Contact a friend,
Counselor,
Coach,
Or mentor to help you through the process.
And nine,
You might also find my podcast,
Let Be,
Let Go,
Let In,
Helpful.
You can access it along with my other podcast on my profile page.
Don't let your fears spook you.
Look them in the eye.
Acknowledge them,
But don't let them rule you.
Let them know you hear them.
Take a breath,
Then let them go.
Let your intuition guide you in making powerful and thoughtful choices.
Then follow through with the actions that inspire you.
Wishing you a spooky happy Halloween.
