Laurence H. Blackburn
Fear - March 7, 2010
Everyone is afraid of something, either admitted or unconfessed. Some fears have been 
brought out into the open and recognized for their universality, as well as the damage they do. There is the fear of any unsettling situation that may make us less sure of ourselves; a rut is so comfortable, after all! And what if we should be exposed for the person we really are? Then there might come disregard or humiliation or ridicule.
Some find it unbearable to contemplate any change within or without. The fear of failure makes us inadequate to meet the tests of life; the fear of poverty keeps us poor; the fear of people fends off those who would be our friends; the fear of dying fills every living hour with the haunt of death. And to these scores of others, like the fear of old age, the fear of the dark...
What should we do about our fears?
Instead of denying them or hiding them, or running away from them, why not face our fears to see what they really are?
Direct action is recommended as a most effective remedy, too. If you handle your fears one by one with decisiveness and courage, you will find that they will shrivel into less significance. You will be the master over them. You will be free.
How wise were Emerson's words: "He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount fear."
- Laurence H. Blackburn