Daily Question, October 14 What is calling me to understand more and to fear less? 59 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Mike7 months agoMikeFor Christians in general, God would be both the source of the wisdom that leads to understanding and of the perfect love that casts out fear. All good things point back to their source. – And for those who share my temperament, a dash of memento mori also helps rebuke fear. 0 Reply KC7 months agoKClife … 1 Reply Linda7 months agoLindaWhat came to mind is aging. I am now of Medicare age (!) and know that aging will bring a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. I sometimes can’t believe I am the age of my grandparents, and I remember thinking of them as so old! I think I will face the fears of aging with a good sense of humor, rather than worry about all the things that could happen to me! 8 Reply Hot Sauce7 months agoHot SauceMy beginnings of understanding the boundaries between healthy cultural borrowing vs. economic exploitation, cultural misrepresentation, resource exploitation, and sacrilege are calling me to understand more so that I can practice my spirituality and borrow from different traditions without doing so in harmful ways. While I admit there is some fear that I may have to change certain aspects of my practice, I think it is better to give up certain practices for the sake of not hurting people from ot...My beginnings of understanding the boundaries between healthy cultural borrowing vs. economic exploitation, cultural misrepresentation, resource exploitation, and sacrilege are calling me to understand more so that I can practice my spirituality and borrow from different traditions without doing so in harmful ways. While I admit there is some fear that I may have to change certain aspects of my practice, I think it is better to give up certain practices for the sake of not hurting people from other cultures than to continue certain practices just because I like them. Read More5 Reply Blossom7 months agoBlossomFreedom 5 Reply TofuLove7 months agoTofuLoveIt sounds lame but yeah everything. I think the more a person is willing to understand about everything around them and also in them the more growth there is. I've definitely noticed when I'm fearful I don't want to understand, I go into situations thinking, I know what this is and I'm closed to hearing out what is actually happening ... so my experiences seem that, it's better to even if the fear is there, to push myself to understand, to open even just a bit and at least look and when you do, ...It sounds lame but yeah everything. I think the more a person is willing to understand about everything around them and also in them the more growth there is. I’ve definitely noticed when I’m fearful I don’t want to understand, I go into situations thinking, I know what this is and I’m closed to hearing out what is actually happening … so my experiences seem that, it’s better to even if the fear is there, to push myself to understand, to open even just a bit and at least look and when you do, often in my experience, you realize what you thought was there, isn’t actually, it’s something different and much less harmful than your mind initially told you. Read More4 Reply Don Jones7 months agoDon JonesI was feeling particularly lonely a while back and fear came knocking. My Guru unexpectedly invited me to undertake a personal inquiry - his question, "Have you fully explored the full depth and dimension of this life?" I started by looking at this life and the seemingly aloneness of it. I decided to step out of self and look from the perspective of my local street, so I became the street. Hmm I thought, what if I became the neighborhood and looked from that perspective? Perhaps even from t...I was feeling particularly lonely a while back and fear came knocking. My Guru unexpectedly invited me to undertake a personal inquiry – his question, “Have you fully explored the full depth and dimension of this life?” I started by looking at this life and the seemingly aloneness of it. I decided to step out of self and look from the perspective of my local street, so I became the street. Hmm I thought, what if I became the neighborhood and looked from that perspective? Perhaps even from the perspective of the City, or State or country? Hmmm, what if I looked from the perspective of the planet? But why stop there? How about from the solar system… or maybe even the Milky Way? Hmmm, what about from the whole darn super cluster? All in… the whole of creation? Then the question that followed was, “Where is the Buddha, or Christ, or Allah, or Shiva or whatever name you choose?” Ha! Read More5 Reply Mica7 months agoMicaMy work! I stressed and stressed for months before leading a virtual event yesterday. It went great. The stress was also useful, leading me to learn new ways to reduce stress. 5 Reply Antoinette7 months agoAntoinetteUnderstand letting of of everything 6 Reply Lauryn7 months agoLaurynMy relationship with my partner. We went through a rough patch for a couple months…but it seems now that has passed and I’m learning to trust. 6 Reply dcdeb7 months agodcdebAttempting to get more into community. To express. 5 Reply pkr7 months agopkrMy mantra as of the last year or so…. Faith over Fear. Some days I have trouble remembering it. I often need gentle reminders. I am not in control. All is Well. Blessings to All here. 🙏 8 Reply Mica7 months agoMica“Faith over Fear” – thanks, pkr. “Faith and fear do not go together,” the guru said, but I like your shorter version 🥰 3 Reply Cathie7 months agoCathieCrazy travel in my life keeps me from this community too often, and so when I popped in today this is such a pertinent question in regards to my family and the world community in general. Whether it is my son, niece, nephew’s life or the new culture of no consequences for actions in general, my thought is – I am called not to fear the changes or to judge, but to listen for understanding and to continue to shine the goodness, love and “Ultimate Reality” of life. 5 Reply Nelson7 months agoNelsonI started a new job. (Yay!) It’s day 3 and I’m already placed on the team handling the biggest account. Some old stress-induced fears came back. But nowadays, I’m much wiser and more calm. I’m leaning into those disempowering thoughts, understanding where they came from. Acknowledging them and moving on anyway. It feels good to have that level of control and understanding of my thoughts, and knowing how to effectively handle these situations. 10 Reply Michele7 months agoMicheleCongrats on your new job Nelson:) 1 Reply Mica7 months agoMicaThat’s exciting, Nelson – leaning into fears; understanding; biggest account! I’m impressed 😃 3 Reply Howie Geib7 months agoHowie Geibcongratulations! 4 Reply Cintia7 months agoCintiaTrust. Strengthen my confidence in Life. Letting go of the silly attempt to think I can control something. 9 Reply Pilgrim7 months agoPilgrimPerhaps whatever is causing fear to arise is an invitation to explore and ponder with kindness and patience. Probably now, my fears (or maybe better stated, anxieties) are around my upcoming move … getting all the steps done to get me to moving day, having the movers show up, and getting settled in my new home. It will be in a city I know and love, and have always longed to live in. But ahead of time, a lot of anxiety. 7 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraThis will be my first communication with this community. I remember finding it first some years ago - having the interest and yet not pursuing it. I am so grateful to have rediscovered it at this moment in my life and yet I don't know where to begin. If I am truthful, I am fearful of beginning - I am fearful of posting this reflection. I am fearful of committing. I am fearful of doing it wrong. Yet I know that something is calling me to understand more and so I must let go of my fear. Per...This will be my first communication with this community. I remember finding it first some years ago – having the interest and yet not pursuing it. I am so grateful to have rediscovered it at this moment in my life and yet I don’t know where to begin. If I am truthful, I am fearful of beginning – I am fearful of posting this reflection. I am fearful of committing. I am fearful of doing it wrong. Yet I know that something is calling me to understand more and so I must let go of my fear. Perhaps it doesn’t matter that I don’t yet know, or can’t yet articulate what is calling me. Letting go of the fear comes first. As I typed my answer, which I thought would finish at the end of that last sentence, something came to me. There is a much wider aspect to the question. I have answered it here in relation to myself and the particular circumstances of my life right now. But I can think about it in a much wider way also. Setting aside fear – be it of people, places, faith, politics, culture – setting aside fear of the unknown opens the way to understanding which in turn reduces the fear. An upward spiral. Which still doesn’t answer the question. I still don’t know what is calling me. Or perhaps I do know but I’m not yet ready to give it a name. But the question is intended to promote reflection and it has done that. Even if I am still very fearful of posting this. I hope I will be brave enough to post it anyway. Just one click … Read More15 Reply Michele7 months agoMicheleWelcome to this site Sandra. Everyone here is so nice and I’ve been doing this every morning for over 3 yrs now. 2 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraThank you Michele 😊 I hope I can make a daily visit here too. 2 Reply ALICIA7 months agoALICIAYou are welcome here. You have connection. And, I believe, you spoke for many….you’re more courageous than you thought. 7 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraAlicia, thank you. I appreciate your kind and caring words. 4 Reply Samuel7 months agoSamuelSandra, you will find this to be a very supportive, caring community. I don’t know of another anywhere that is more so. So you can indeed feel comfortable expressing your thoughts, hopes and fears here amongst many others going through much the same life difficulties as you are. It was recommended to me over three years ago after the death of my late wife of 53 years, and has been of tremendous help to me in trying to go on without her by my side… 7 Reply ALICIA7 months agoALICIAMy sympathies on the loss of your dear wife. Grief knows no time table. I’m glad you are here, Samuel. Courage. I’ve seen some of your posts. I see the wisdom in you. Thank you. 6 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraSamuel, thank you 😊 And thank you for sharing your story with me 🙏 I can imagine you have faced many trials and challenges over the past three years. I am feeling braver already, thanks to your welcoming words and those of others here. After I had posted, I had to go out on an errand. Although there is a fair amount of difficulty in my life at the moment and imminent loss, I was able to drive along feeling true gratefulness for what I was noticing along the way. I realised that for t...Samuel, thank you 😊 And thank you for sharing your story with me 🙏 I can imagine you have faced many trials and challenges over the past three years. I am feeling braver already, thanks to your welcoming words and those of others here. After I had posted, I had to go out on an errand. Although there is a fair amount of difficulty in my life at the moment and imminent loss, I was able to drive along feeling true gratefulness for what I was noticing along the way. I realised that for those few moments I could appreciate the beauty in the world without losing sight of the challenges. This has been a good day 🤗 Read More6 Reply Cintia7 months agoCintiaI agree with Ose: here you are dear Sandra! Thank you for sharing your quite intimate inner movements and concerns. You are welcome in our hearts! 6 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraCintia, thank you! I am feeling the warmth of this community already 😊 6 Reply Ose7 months agoOse… and here you are, dear Sandra. Thank you for sharing your quite intimate inner movements and concerns. 🙏😍 I can relate to what you expressed, trying myself to find the courage to let go of the fear and instead to open up inner space and freedom to face the intensity and the vastness existing inside and all around and to embrace it with all my being. 6 Reply Sandra7 months agoSandraOse, thank you 😊 For the encouragement and the understanding 🙏 You’ve made me smile. 6 Reply Marnie Jackson7 months agoMarnie JacksonLetting my children grow into the people they are going to be requires me to step back and let them take the reins. It calls for me to understand where they are at and to stop fearing that I am doing the wrong thing. Stop fearing that they can’t handle a situation or that they won’t reach out when they need help. 8 Reply Howie Geib7 months agoHowie GeibFear is, for me, most often a threshold emotion. It acts almost like a fire alarm. Alerting me to some perceived potential threat. Age and experience have allowed me to address these with a calm approach as panic helps no one. And then, unpack the triggers to see how best to deal with it, what actions are called for and decisions to make. So the short answer is experience I suppose. 5 Reply Patricia7 months agoPatriciaAnother confusing question. Or something. Understanding doesn’t necessarily lead to less fear; I can listen to another person, try to understand their position, but in the end I just fear what such beliefs will lead a person to. So I just have to trust God and “be not afraid.” 6 Reply 1 2 Next » My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A. 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