Word of the Day: Fear
During a time of great turbulence and transition, I was comforted by optimistic visions of a future time. I asked one day, prayerfully, “What is blocking me from living this optimistic vision now?”
The answer I received was “Fear.”
At the time I remember saying with bravado, “I’m not afraid!”
Upon reflection, I realized that fear had become so normal for me that I was even afraid to admit that I was afraid. A fear loop.
Growing up I experienced a lot of violence. In these experiences I learned to be brave. In learning to be brave I suppressed fear. It was a survival instinct. I became like a warrior, setting fear aside to accomplish what was needed at the time. The fear didn’t go away, it just found other ways to express itself.
I am now able to explore fear with more awareness, no longer needing to fight so fiercely for survival. Let’s go deeper into the true meaning of fear.
fear (noun) : an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
The earliest known form of the word fear is fær. This is an Old English word meaning “calamity, sudden danger, peril.” Some early relations of the word fear also include:
Proto-Germanic feraz meaning “danger”
Old Norse far meaning “harm, distress, deception”
Dutch gevaar and German gefahr meaning “danger”
PIE per meaning “to try, risk”
Another interesting root is the Old English fǣran which I have seen defined as both “to frighten” and “to revere.” To revere something is to feel deep respect and admiration for it. We witness fear and reverence in the phrase “the fear of God.” I wonder if perhaps this meaning of both fear and reverence is due to fǣran’s association with the faerie realm in ancient history. There is the potential for both fear and wonder in the witnessing of such magic.
As we see through etymology, fear is usually rooted in danger. It is a protective emotion when we experience immediate danger or calamity. Bravery and courage exist in relation to fear.
The invitation is to find healthy ways to release fear once the imminent danger has passed. Fear can easily become a constant program, especially when we have experienced violent trauma and PTSD. Even so, it is possible to overcome this.
Bringing awareness to fear can help to make sure we aren’t applying it in situations that don’t actually present danger. Change, the unknown, meeting new people, sharing our stories, stepping into purpose - these can feel scary when we have experienced trauma, but aren’t inherently dangerous.
In quiet moments, when you feel safe, can you relax and invite reverence in places where there is or was once fear?
