Carl Setzer

Don't let fear kill your dreams. Plan and act! Focus on hope, on the way forward. Perhaps you've noticed I've been working a theme these past few posts: facing fear, moving forward, pursuing those dreams.

It's easy to let fear paralyze us and suck out our effectiveness. But the only way to conquer fear is through action.

This seems very relevant in these times: I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my  fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. [ 2 ] From Dune, The Litany Against Fear. 

A blogging friend posted this a little while ago ( Say hello to Cafe Book Bean ). I've loved the Dune books and have always found this to be a fantastic mediation. I'm often prone to anxiety and fear-based paralysis. “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” – Frank Herbert (Dune)

A puzzling realization: this desire to retreat from fear. Well, at one level it makes sense: fears represent danger, which one should avoid. But there are things we fear whose only remedy is knowledge. So, knowledge is power, but to gain it we often must face our fears. Ah, yes, winning the battle against reflex! This shows the importance of mindfulness. One must be awake and in control of the mind. Awareness of those reflexes, and knowing the sad path they lead down is critical. And that's much harder in today's world where nimble reaction is highly valued. Taking time for thoughtful reflection is not. We must remember that there are some things that Google doesn't know. And those are the things that make us the most human. Which makes me think of Replicants and Blade Runner's symbolism, but that's a post for another day.

It's sad how much we lose because of our fear of failure. So many opportunities vanish simply because we were too afraid to act. How will we ever know the extent of our possibilities if we fear reaching our limits? I know, for myself, that most of my perceived limits are illusory. Yet it's uncomfortable to imagine stretching past them. We must master our fears. If nothing else, transfer that to a fear of not trying, of the lost opportunity. That way our fears push us forward. Yet, I feel the ideal is centering ourselves upon love, passion. It's better to run towards success than away from terror. Fear exhausts; love's attraction energizes.

One must face that which brings fear; not with rage, rather, compassion. For such demons only bear the power of deception. Face the fear, deny deceptions, then act upon what's left. 

Watch out, you're being watched   As I develop more interest in security and its underlying systems, this story is both fascinating and disturbing. It boggles my mind that Homeland Security is monitoring random spots on the main freeway (north-south) through Washington (I5), and that they’re sensitive enough to detect radiation from a cat undergoing cancer treatment. I worry about the tighter net we cast, and, even more so, the underlying fear. Will we sell the soul of our society in a vain attempt to mollify our terror of terrorists? The thought that we’d, rather willingly, thrust ourselves into a Stalinist state rooted in distrust deeply saddens me.

A mind moves beneath the calm. time's unable to truly calm the winds. Stillness fleeting, not withering, yet stunted. Never towering, yet amazingly alive amist hostile winds. Dreaming of quiet pastures which I fear.