Are You Afraid..?

"The only thing our nation has left to fear, is fear itself."
These are some wise words originally spoken by FDR, and I happen to think there's a LOT of truth to that statement:
The only thing we should EVER be afraid of is simply being too afraid to act.
FEAR is the main cause of so much ... bad stuff in our lives. We settle because of fear. We give up because of fear.
Fear can get us killed. Exhibit A...
Are you familiar with the show, "The Biggest Loser"? My wife started watching episodes online a couple months ago, and we actually got into it.
I'm a firm believer that everybody has a few big battles in life- some are just easier to hide than others. Well, for the folks on this show, their big battle was their weight.
It's basically a show where people are professionally trained, and compete to see who can cut the most weight in a healthy way.
The one thing I kept hearing over and over was this: "The BIGGEST challenge was to get over the FEAR of working to lose a bunch of weight... when I did that, the rest was all down hill."
Do you see the significance of that? The mental block known as FEAR was causing these people to live lives they weren't happy with.
My goal with this email is this: Especially as Armed Citizens- but simply as human beings, it is vital that we learn to manage our fears.
What kind of fear am I talking about?
ALL fears.
Whether they are long-term fears, as in the folks on The Biggest Loser, or short-term fears, such as the fear that might overtake you when you hear a ground-level window in your house shatter at 2:00AM.
A HUGE part of this is the use of positive self talk. This is what I mean:
If being around people made me nervous, hiding behind a pile of food is not the answer (like one of the contestants on The Biggest Loser did).
The answer would be to tell myself over and over, that: "I am an interesting person who has a lot to offer- I don't NEED to hide."
And if the idea of walking alone through a dark parking lot wracks your nerves, convince yourself that:
You are STRONG, AWARE, you are completely capable of defending yourself, and you will NEVER stop fighting until you have won.
Friend, I hope you will practice this positive self talk in the same way that you practice with your self-defense tools. They have made a HUGE difference in my life, and in the lives of many others.