How to turn your fear into joyful anticipation in a mindful way

Fear?

It's an emotion that can motivate us in so many different ways in life. The concept of fear is first and foremost threatening. At the end, we do not feel comfortably softly wrapped in our comfort zone with it. On the contrary, this feeling of deep burning, pulling, stinging or frightening to the core is striking because it wants to shake us up here and now. It's obvious that it can't feel cosy.

Fear wants to tell us many things, but does not threaten us. It warns us against something to ensure our survival. That is quite positive! It also likes to show itself as a recurring signal from the inside to point out something we should once again pay attention to. If the fear did this with a comforting shiver of joy, we would certainly not be alarmed, right? What fear actually wants to tell us is: do something, change something! Here is something you have to pay attention to!

And you can do that now! Namely, first change your relationship to the concept of fear.

“Fear” initially represents often something unpleasant

If you were able to withdraw power from this fear here and now and turn it into something positive, what would happen?

You would feel like the captain of your life?
You could consciously control things according to your desires?
You would not be afraid of the unpleasant feeling, but would welcome it?
You could integrate this feeling into yourself in a way that it gives you strength instead of paralysing you?
You would be able to transform fear into anticipation of the future?
Your enthusiasm for your effective ability to transform would inspire you even more?

What if, after this exercise of fear transformation, you could answer all the questions with yes?

All right, let's go!

Step 1

Find a comfortable place where you can be alone for 1 hour. At the very least, turn all nearby devices to silence. Now make yourself really comfortable on your chair or armchair, where you can lean on. Ideally, your feet should stand on a warm surface (no cold tiles, but carpet or you should wear stockings and stand on a cushion, etc.) so that your knees are bent in a relaxed 100° angle. You now should have a relaxed visitors chair position with firm grip.

Now imagine a situation that creates a slight feeling of fear. You might need to give a presentation and speak in front of 100 people? If you are worried, it would be an ideal scenario for this exercise.

Imagine yourself in front of these people and keep the word “FEAR” in mind. Perceive it for half a minute. What is it like? Does it stand between you and the audience? How does it affect you? Feel this word in front of you again for half a minute. Is there anything going on in you during this time? Allow your perception a moment of space.

Step 2

Do something groundbreaking: move the imaginary word with the letters F, E, A, R with one hand or both hands consciously away! Slowly push it to the side so that you feel the sign moving. Slide it aside until it has disappeared from your awareness in front of you. How does it feel? Notice attentively how it feels. What comes into your perception? A feeling, an impulse, a message, a new awareness? Perhaps you feel something like this: OK, the fear is gone. So, what comes now instead? How do you perceive these new possibilities?

Here you are with your idea of your presentation in front of hundreds of people. Since you have pushed away the fear, this term, which is only an abstract name for an emotion, no longer exists for you in this situation. You have new space now. Realise it. How you sit on your chair, where the backrest rests on your back and how your arms rest on the armrests. Do your feet have pleasant ground contact and are you comfortable all around? Very good!

Step 3

Now you're in a neutral room. In this room you start to explore your body feelings. Now feel into yourself in front of hundreds of spectators in your imaginary situation from this neutral position. How do you perceive yourself? Do you experience certain areas of the body as pleasant or rather unpleasant? Which are how? How does it feel pleasant for you? And how does it feel unpleasant?

What exactly is going on in your body? For example, do you have a lump in your throat at the idea of giving a speech? Give this feeling space so that it is able to express itself. Also perceive where it feels vast in the body and give space to that feeling as well. In this way, explore the individual areas and their body reactions. Notice also, how these feelings and emotions change in you. There may be pictures or messages coming into your consciousness. Or you can feel your nervous system calming you down. Be very aware of what is going on in you and realise that you are sitting in a comfortable chair.

When you look at the people in front of you again, how do you feel about giving a speech in that situation? What has changed? Perhaps, you now feel a kind of movement in the stomach area that brings you into higher attention. Or the narrowness in your throat now needs to express something in order to widen? What could that be? What is your impulse?

Step 4

Feel all these different body feelings and try to describe them for yourself: burning, pressing, pulling, pricking, soft, fluffy, warm, bright, pulsating, tingling, awakening, vital and so on. Whatever comes into your mind. Consciously perceive these feelings and emotions. That way they will get the attention they need to unfold.

When your body feelings can unfold, they literally find a place in your body system. You don't suppress them, you let them be. This allows them to develop in a supportive way, to transmit a good feeling for you. As a result, you can slowly release unpleasant movements from your system. For instance, pricking slowly becomes pulling, soft pulling and then a fluffy feeling. This would have transformed the pricking and integrated it into your nervous system as new pleasant information.

Finally, perceive again the variety of what you are currently feeling. How would you describe these feelings now? How did they express in you? Have you perhaps felt something like excitement? Maybe also courage to be allowed to stand in front? Perhaps this possibility has inspired you to be able to speak freely?

Now that you are finally allowed to give that speech, you may be looking forward to it. Joy instead of fear! With that, you would have been able to transform your “fear” into anticipation and so many other exciting perceptions!

Feel what is happening and receive energy

Where is the concept of fear now? A term for so many body reactions. Does that fit? Have you noticed how this word reduces your vitality to just one term?

Fear is only a theoretical named construct and does not reflect your true physical sensation. I suppose, you have just noticed very finely how many different sensations you had in this imagination. All these sensations and body feelings deserve their own terms to express them more appropriately, don't they?

By practicing this on your pure emotional level, you are moving on your true level. Thereby, you move away from the level of judgmental terms and enter your real perception. When you feel mindfully, you really perceive what you are feeling and are able to change it. And therein lies your power and creativity! Trace this released energy now even further to anchor it well in the body's memory.

Now, you have created a new resource!