Denise Lee Porter

Image by PONCE 2007 via Flickr

“He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” - Matthew 8:26

A child comes into the world with two fears (falling and loud noises), yet by the time they are five they are burdened with additional fears:

• abandonment
• strangers
• spankings and retribution

As adults we find ourselves a bundle of nerves and fears. Radio personalities tell us that our world is falling apart, politicians (by their actions) tell us there is no hope, we are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing at work or in social situations, we worry that we won’t be able to pay the bills this month, we are afraid that we have not instilled the right values in our children, and we’re afraid of people who are different from us.

Faith is the antidote to every fear that lives in your mind or in your heart. Faith thoughts will stop your fear thoughts dead in their tracks. With faith you can sail through any crisis successfully, while fear can stop you right where you are and even kill you. It is almost sinful to choose fear over faith, and I am always disappointed in those religious leaders who do this.

If you are a marketer then fear is your enemy, it drains you of energy and ambition. Fear is hard work and if you are putting all of your energy into being afraid, then where is the positive energy that you need to build your business?

To be successful in business and in life we have to recognize that today is all we have, tomorrow has not happened yet and yesterday is over - can’t relive it or redo it, it is gone, gone , gone. Since today is it, you have to do it up right:

• wake up with an attitude of gratitude and a positive affirmation
• expect the very best of yourself and others
• be joyful!
• don’t worry about tomorrow, it won’t happen until you wake up again and by then - it’ll be today
  

Florence Scovel Shinn says that if you walk up to the lion in your path he will vanish into native nothingness. What that means is that when you face your fears they will disappear, because they are made of air. You’re laughing, I know, you’re thinking “You idiot, people are losing their homes and their jobs, our kids are losing they’re lives to war, gangs and drugs.  How do you make that disappear?”

Let me qualify the statement above - when you walk up to the lion in your pathway, armed with the knowledge and faith that he is nothing and cannot destroy you, he will vanish into his native nothingness.

Do you have faith, or are you going to let your fears rule your life?