What's Your Fear?

Most people have fears. Some fears are justifiable; others appear ridiculous to everyone except the person who holds it. Not surprisingly, even famous people had tremendous and unusual phobias about life. The formidable Julius Caesar quacked under the sound of thunder. Samuel Johnson avoided entering a room with his left foot first.

One night, a husband was lying in bed whenever his wife jarred him out of his deep sleep. “Burt, wake up! There is a burglar downstairs.” Burt, still groggy from this abrupt awakening, stumbled out of bed and promised to quiet the fear of his wife by confronting this alleged intruder. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the fear that his wife possessed became a reality: The robber stood there with a gun pointed straight at the face of this now terrified husband.

“Hold it right there, sir. Take me to the valuables in this home.” Because he didn’t want to die or endanger his beloved wife, Burt complied and allowed the thief to take what he wanted. But, before he departed, Burt requested, “Wait. Before you leave, could you go upstairs and meet my wife? She has been expecting you every night for thirty years.”

Do you have a fear? Don’t be ashamed of it, and don’t be afraid to face it. You must realize, however, that your fear will not be conquered in one brief moment of time. It will require months and years of earnest effort in order to transform that fear into an advantage. Remember, in the words of Jon Acuff, “Fear is not a dragon to be slain once, it’s an ocean to be swum daily.”