Even if Frightened

 

 

 

 

 

"Speak from your heart,

even if it frightens you."

 

Sonia Choquette

THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT

 

 

 

There were two choices available to me: 1.  Say nothing about my opposition to the decision of other people and be disengaged for months; and 2.  Voice my opinion in a sincere voice using kind words, thus, being able to remain connected.  Even though I had rehearsed my decision, choosing exact words, I found myself immediately blurting out my string of objections when I next joined the others.  I felt as though if I had waited for the perfect moment, I would swallow my words forever.

 

In the discussion that followed, I came to realize that others in the group had been considering the same concerns.  Others had not used their voices in a silent gesture of going along to get along. We reassessed our needs and agreed to follow a different path offering a more realistic way of moving forward.

 

Just one week prior, I had encouraged others to join me in creating an additional group.  I spoke with passion engaging the others to join me with this new task.  In the following days, I made a discovery.  If I used my passion and energy for this new goal, I would be avoiding an earlier commitment.  This would result in neglecting my first project and not having 100% to invest in the second.   When I gave thought to this new project, things definitely were not falling into place.  There were even a few road blocks preventing progress.  I realized I needed to retract this second quest personally, and face embarrassment in front of the others. 

 

My mind was having a wonderful time exploring what the comments of others might be, but for once, I turned down the volume.  So a few days later, I faced my companions to tell them I needed to withdraw the very passionate request of just one week prior.  I explained to them my need to remain focused on an earlier project, and truly believed this new endeavor, although a good one, would be only an avoidance technique my ego very creatively proposed.  In my heart, I knew I was doing the right thing, but in front of my peers, I felt I was losing credibility.

 

In both scenarios, I managed to step through fear and instead of discovering negative consequences on the other side, I found a sense of personal strength.  I was also keenly amazed that others had held back their voices just as I had.  We are all very articulate women, but our eagerness to be loving and caring towards others caused us to betray our very sense of self.

 

Fear triggers havoc in our spiritual connections, physical health, and emotional status.  Collectively, we have given fear extensive power over us, forgetting that it is only an illusion.  Television, News and Media, fill us with fear.  What we decide to focus upon, attracts more of the same.

 

Ego coos fear into our ears.  Our determination and evaluation of self becomes weakened. We minimize our personal strengths, and our power slowly dissipates from our desires and dreams.   The good news is that we can use the power of speech and still  remain loving and caring.   For some, using voice may hurt others, so they choose to hurt themselves instead.

 

In her book, THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT, Sonia Choquette encourages us to experience the changes within our body when we use our voice and when we don't.  By remaining silent, tension and stress accumulates in our necks, shoulders, and in the way we carry ourselves.   When we step through the illusion of fear, our body feels more relaxed and alive.  Our mind then tends to think of more pleasant and creative ideas.  We find more energy in our day and deeper sleep at night.

 

One of the exercises in the above mentioned book, encourages us to say out loud: "If I weren't afraid, I would . . . "  The author suggests we state this completed sentence repeatedly for several minutes.  Notice the energy and freedom we initially feel.    Then also notice the shift when a fear surfaces. 

 

If we try to place this fear out side of our selves and imagine it were a bird leisurely flying out through our front door, we can better connect with our authentic feelings.  As the imaginary bird flutters outside, we can creatively think of ways of dealing with it.  We can put it in a cage, find a different home for it, set it free, or simply close the door.

 

When we give consideration to a problem as if it were outside of our selves, we can more easily keep our emotions in place.  We can be more objective and create a list of options.  Sometimes just committing to discover a resolution increases our energy to follow through.

 

We were frightened when we were first learning how to ride a bike or read aloud in front of our class.  Our fears did not prevent us from proceeding and succeeding.  The same is true for speaking our truth.  It may be frightening at first, but the more we use it, we will be experiencing more energy, self-respect, and freedom.  When we fall off the bike, we get back on.

If we are corrected for mispronouncing a word, we can be even more determined to get it right.

 

When we speak a heartfelt truth, place one hand over our heart.  Let our hand keep us connected to our personal power.  This gesture makes us more mindful and helps to calm our fears. Our inner voice begins to speak more clearly and we become far more aware of who we are, what we desire, and the intentions of Divine Spirit.