Fear is a necessary survival tool. But for many of us, fear and its little sisters, anxiety and worry, seem to be taking over our lives. How do we tame the fear monster so that we can respond appropriately when really in danger, then put fear aside when it threatens to become toxic? 
Fear, anxiety and worry may be overly present in our lives right now for a couple of reasons.
The first reason has to do with our many experiences and how we use them to keep us safe. Fear is an emotional response to situations, events or people that are dangerous or hurtful. We respond by retreating (flight) or trying to change or control the situation (fight). Each dangerous or troublesome situation gets recorded in our memories so that we will recognize it in the future and act to protect ourselves. In this way we feel we have some control over our lives.
As we progress through life we have more and more experiences that could be considered problematic, worrisome, or dangerous. We naturally assume that if a situation in the past is dangerous or troublesome, a similar situation in the present or future will be the same. So the older we get, the more we feel we must be constantly on alert to protect ourselves from all these past negative experiences recorded in our memory.
The key to taming the fear monster is the realization that just because it happened in the past, does not mean it will necessarily happen the same way now or in the future. How many times have you worried about something only to have it come out fine in the end? If you are worried about something you can do something about, do it. If you can’t do anything about it, just assume it will be OK.
Even in the unlikely event that something negative does happen, you have the ability to solve the problem or learn or profit from the situation. Many times what we think of as negative turns out to have a silver lining.
And there is actually a way we can help things turn out well even if there is no concrete physical action we can take. When we worry about something negative happening, we are, in a sense, expecting it to happen. When we expect something negative to happen, our energy synchronizes with the probabilities needed to bring that situation into actuality, making it more likely that something negative WILL happen. (see Changing Your Expectations).
The opposite is also true. When we expect something positive to happen, that choice energizes the probabilities needed to bring the positive outcome into reality, making the positive outcome much more likely to occur. The choice is up to each of us. The hard part is remembering that we have a choice, and that our choice will make a difference.
The second reason why the fear monster seems to be looming so large right now is that the energy of Earth is going through major changes. These changes are good changes, but they are still unsettling. We can’t really see these energetic changes, but we can feel that something is happening that is unfamiliar and we are naturally wary and apprehensive, looking behind every tree and into every closet trying to find the source of our unease.
But just because something is unfamiliar doesn’t mean it’s bad. The unfamiliar can be exciting and intriguing. The explorer purposely goes into new territory because it’s exciting to discover new and different aspects of life. When I feel unsettled and apprehensive for no really good reason, I remember that I am an explorer in the energy realm. In this way I am better able to observe and experience objectively with no judgement of good or bad. Fear then turns into excitement, curiosity and wonder.
Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, we are all explorers in the energy realm. The changes in Earth energy will bring forth new potentials and amazing possibilities for all of us. But we will only be able to discover and manifest these potentials if we can learn to tame the fear monster. Try feeding him excitement, curiosity and wonder, and see what happens.
For more on the energy realm, see my book “It’s All About Energy: Adventures in Expanded Reality”, available on Amazon, at local bookstores and on my website, www,transformationalexpansion.com