FreedomIs#: Freedom From Fear

Posted: August 20, 2014

We all have our own private fears, but Freedom from fear begins with the courage to admit to fear – and then work to overcome it.

We’ve devoted the month of August to freedom through the FreedomIs # campaign. To read more about the campaign, and see all the selfies contributed, click here. (And send yours too, so we can include it!)

It felt amazing to learn about the varied perspectives on freedom, by women all across India. It was interesting to know that freedom means different things to different people. Indeed, Freedom is such an important word that without it, we can never be completely happy. Countries have waged wars for freedom because it’s such an invaluable feeling and it’s one of the most important fundamental rights too. After all, would anyone be truly happy confined ?

It was difficult to write on any one aspect of freedom because it has different forms and all are equally significant to me. I ultimately decided to write about Freedom from fear because fear is the common stumbling block that we deal with on a daily basis.

We are all born free and gradually as the years pass by, our lives get entwined with fears and insecurities every step of the way. Leading a fear-filled life can be overwhelming and can have life changing effects. It is the situations and circumstances in our lives that create it and in turn, it has an effect on our psyche and our behaviour as well. Every individual has fears and insecurities and sometimes we begin to feel threatened by situations that cause fear.

Some common fears that women go through are the fear of venturing out alone, especially at late hours of the night, fear of losing a loved one, fear of not being able to help a loved in need, fear of becoming a victim to a deadly disease, fear of not keeping in good health, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fearing the safety of her family and kids, fear of terrorism, fear of violence and fear of survival.

These are common concerns that most of us have and it takes courage to admit it. In our right minds, we tend to not give into them, but these thoughts are always lurking somewhere in our minds. Sometimes, these feelings may overtake our lives, making us crippled and paralyzed. When we free ourselves from the chains of fear, it is only then that we would win the battle of freedom from fear. Some are successful in doing so and some are not. The successful ones move on to lead a happier, authentic and a more meaningful life. They are also successful in realizing and achieving their dreams.

It would truly be a heavenly feeling when we get rid of our fears. But is that really possible ? I think it is. It’s not completely possible to eliminate situations in our lives that we feel threatened by, but it’s up to us to get rid of our own fears and phobias by dealing with them in a positive way. Most often the fear ceases to take hold of our lives, when we confront it head on.

We can fight fear by making ourselves mentally strong , by gaining knowledge and education on subjects that are the cause of our fear, by learning from others, by seeking help from counsellors and therapists, by gaining emotional support from our own kin, friends and teachers, by becoming more spiritual and at peace with ourselves. The final decision to change, rests on our own shoulders. So, let’s hope that we all attain freedom from our inner demons and not get consumed by it. I’d like to conclude with these beautiful quotes on freedom from fear.

“You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.” – Dale Carnegie

The key to change….is to let go of fear. – Rosanne Cash

“‘Fearless’ is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.” – Taylor Swift

Pic credit: Kristof Magyar (Used under a CC license)