This quote was shared as a “story” on the wall of my friend, Tracey. “Where your fear is, there is your task.” ~ Carl Jung.

I planned that this quote would be the Aha! in this message but took a step back. I allowed the quote to sink in and began to question it. Are all fears created equal? Do fear alerts beg for our immediate attention? Can fears save us or hinder us?

We have a naturally built-in fear mechanism that is as old as time itself. The mechanism is designed to detect what is not normal or usual and give you a chance to assess then respond.

You see, the subconscious mind is collecting data to the tune of over 10,000 impressions per second and looking for patterns to keep you safe, its number one task. Is fear, then, a trigger to signal something is wrong or something is simply uncomfortable?

Aha! ~ First understand the emotion behind the fear.

“I would classify Fear as a natural response. It might be because you are doing something new. In that case, it can be classified as excitement – It could be a sense of loss, for instance, if you are making a decision, this fear might be asking you to reconsider. This may even be a warning to see check whether you are prepared for reasonable loss – It might be nerves, it could simply be a message of you doing something new and your mind needing preparation for the same.” ~ Author unknown (I found this response to Jung’s quote on Inspire 99 and thought it was perfect.)

When that little jolt of fear sets in, it is simply saying, “Detecting unusual behaviour,” not necessarily implying danger.

Fear can also be a story we make up. And because the mind doesn’t know the difference between what’s false and what’s real, the fear may not be our mechanism kicking in to keep us safe but our internal programming justifying inaction.

As the Ancient Greek aphorism states, “Know Thyself”. Identify the emotion behind your fear then decide what purpose it serves.

Fear can be both helpful and harmful. Tomorrow – Tuesday, January 31st – and NOON eastern we take a deeper dive into how to pay close attention to intuitive fear. Join us here