When Fear is a Good Thing

<p>In 2012, my husband and I took a cargo boat, which was way overloaded and inches from taking on water, for 3 days on the Niger river to Timbuktu. It was the most amazing adventure. </p><p><br /> </p><p>If you look at the photo for this podcast (taken in the Sahara), we look so in love - but what’s not apparent is that we are fleeing a Touareg takeover in Timbuktu and driving across the Sahara to escape. We stopped once to pee (and took this photo). And we weren’t even supposed to do <i>that</i>! </p><p><br /> </p><p>Ultimately, we live thinking we have control, but we do not. </p><p><br /> </p><p>“Safety” to most people means “nothing bad will happen to me.” Or “I will not feel afraid.” </p><p><br /> </p><p>But true safety lies within. Within our own psyche. </p><p> </p><p>That’s because fear - that emotion we want to avoid that makes us seek safety - is about a <i>perceived </i>danger. <br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p>Sure, on the rare occasion, there is <strong>real </strong>danger out there. But usually, what we are afraid of is an emotion. </p><p><br /> </p><p>And fear is the #1 reason we don’t do things we want to do to create the life we want to live. And that doesn't serve us. </p><p><br /> </p><p>Trying to protect ourselves from all kinds of perceived danger doesn’t help us feel safer, even though our brains think it does. </p><p><br /> </p><p>Action that is skillful comes from a place of calm and wisdom and groundedness - <strong>that </strong>will keep us safe. </p><p><br /> </p><p><strong>We can cultivate our ability to do this by walking towards the fear.</strong></p><p><br /> </p><p>In doing so over and over and over, <strong>that </strong>is how we build confidence. </p><p><br />Not by “protecting” ourselves, but by intentionally going out there and building resilience and cultivating confidence - <i>ziji</i>, that radiant inner confidence - by doing shit even though we are scared. <br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p>Having a true sense of safety is about cultivating <i>ziji</i> - knowing you can handle what