Be afraid, be very afraid (or not)

In the Jewish tradition there are two different words that describe fear.  The first is called Pachad– “projected or imagined fear,” or the “fear whose objects are imagined.”  The second is called Yirah– the fear that overcomes us when we suddenly find ourselves in possession of considerably more energy than we are used to.  We discuss the video below from Tara Sophia Mohr describing the differences.

We then discuss healthy ways to overcome fear:

1. Analyze your fear
   1. Acknowledge it, name it, write it down.  Keep a journal.
   2. Define it contours- where did it begin?  What triggers it?  how does it affect you?  What power does it have?  Sometimes it can be healthy, recognize when it’s not.
   3. Imagine the outcome you desire.
2. Take control of your fear
   1. Baby steps
   2. Deliberately encounter it.  you might realize it’s not as bad as you thought.  Be prepared to deal with failure
   3. Ride the wave.  If you’re doing something- keep the momentum going.  Don’t give up.  Don’t let others hold you back. 
3. Change the way you think about fear
   1. Make it a source of fascination.  Learn from it.  ask why it holds so much power
   2. See it as an opportunity.  Who would you be if you didn’t have this fear?
4. Give fear a place in your life
   1. Let yourself be afraid.  It’s an emotion just like joy or sadness.  Go easy on yourself
   2. Celebrate your victories

We also discussed inherent differences between men and women as it has to do with the decision on whether or not to shine.

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Thank you for listening!!!