Fear: Step Back in Reality, Step Forward in Imagination

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I’d like to begin this post by asking a question: What is your number one fear?

For me, I can’t say I have only one fear; but I can say that once I develop a fear, it is consistent. I don’t go through phases. There isn’t just one week when I am terrified of clowns; there isn’t just one month I can’t stand the sight of a great white shark. No. Not only do my phobias continue to haunt me, but they also inspire me.

I believe that what someone fears is a craft of art; but also, it depends on how the person handles or adapts to the fear. Running away from your problems will not help you evolve as a person; but it will help the arc of a scene in a classic horror movie.

I can’t say I have adapted to my own fears (i.e. sharks, alligators, broken elevators, etc.), but I have used them to my advantage. If I can’t handle looking at a reptile – whether it’s just a photo or real-life – I surely can write about it. But, I don’t write about it in the sense of a diary entry:
“Dear Diary,

I walked by a swamp today with out screaming (out loud).

I really think I am making progress!

– DaHv.”

I first recognize the fear as something I can’t fully control. Once I feel completely vulnerable, I process  my fear with a technique I am comfortable with: writing. As long as I can relate the imagery and characteristics of my fears with something/someone I know (personify someone/something I am not fond of as a snake), in reality, my phobias will start to whither away.

Recently – after having my driver’s license for about two years – my parents bought me my own car. Now, my imagination seems to awaken and strengthen the more I drive around.

Another fear I have, which I think many people do, is getting stopped by a cop. Because I want to avoid getting pulled over, in my mind, I acknowledge a police car (parked or driving) as a creature I would not want to get the attention of: a great white shark. Think about it. If you were swimming in the deep end, where you know sharks are residing, wouldn’t your instinct be to not get their attention? When cars approach a cop, they slow down. When a swimmer approaches a shark, he doesn’t get any closer.

Now, I ask you again: What is your number one fear?

I hope that by reading this post, you will be able to find a way to grasp and adapt to your new/old phobia by using your own craft.

If you want control over what you see, take control over what you say.

– DaHv

1 comment

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  • My number one fear involves me being in a car and driving off the road, or a cliff, or a bridge and landing in a river. Of course, I am trapped in the car and sinking at an accelerated rate. This image is portrayed in many movies. My favorite visual of this fear is in the 1997 movie entitled ” The Game” with Michael Douglas! He survives which eases my fear a little bit! 🙂

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