The liturgical season of Lent began three weeks ago on Ash Wednesday, and culminates in Easter three and a half weeks away.
For me, this Lent is about fear.
One of the challenges for me in working on fear is finding the boundary between not being afraid and being foolish. I do not want fear to hold me back. I do want to exercise common sense. I would like fear not to be an obstacle for me while learning the lessons fear has for me.
For me, this Lent is about the deep fear that keeps me from knowing and being my truest self. It is about the fear that I am not deserving or talented enough, that I am not wise or insightful enough. It is about learning to trust in myself and in the love and presence of the Divine.
This Lent is about appreciating the value of not letting my deep fears limit me.
The first step for me is recognizing fear. The next step in giving up my fear is appreciating it, realizing that fear gives me things that meet my needs. I am not trying to destroy fear or rid myself of it. I am trying to find a healthy relationship to fear, to gain what it has to teach me without allowing it to control me.
This Lent is about changing my understanding of fear.
My fears are part of me. I am not learning the lessons that fear has to teach me when I allow fear to control me and stop me from becoming who I really am. Fear is not the real challenge. The deeper issue is that I allow fear to determine what I do and who I am. Finding the balance includes making friends with my fear.
How will you make friends with your fear today?
What is holding you back?
[Image by VinothChandar]
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