Fear

(Each piece will have a short synopsis before it that will be in parenthesis. The purpose is to give you some context.)

(This piece was written by me when I was at rock bottom. I was scared of what was to come and needed a way to release my emotions.)

Fear is a powerful emotion. It comes to us at the worst of times and is often crippling. In these moments, our fear controls us. It is a force to be reckoned with that will push us into corners that there is seemingly no way out of. No matter the cause, even the smallest fear being instilled in us gives way to the most dreadful emotions. Strong, weak, we all can be crippled by fear as everyone is afraid of something. Fear of loss, fear of change, fear of ourselves, these and others affect us all.

"If fear is so powerful, how can it be overcome?" one might ask. The answer to that question is quite complicated. Fear comes naturally to us. It is not taught or developed such as things like love or hate. Fear is programmed into us, hardwired into our brains and bodies. Throughout the existence of humanity, fear has kept us alive, kept us safe. The fear of danger protects us and those around us. It can often control our bodies even. Things such as the innate reflex of putting our arms out when we fall is due to the fear of hurting ourselves.

However, fear can control us in other ways too. Much more negative ways. In the same way that fear can control our bodies to protect us, it can also control our minds to hurt us. It can make us freeze, make us indecisive, putting us into danger. In these moments, fear controls every aspect of us. It may feel as if we are falling from thousands of feet in the air with nothing to do but hit the ground. As we fall through our minds, fear leaves us vulnerable to other horrible feelings. Sadness, paranoia, stress, anxiety, we feel them sink in as the ground comes closer.

As we reach what feels like the point of no return, a hand reaches out in front of us. Despite being frozen and feeling as if we can't move, we grab the hand. The best way to stop fear from controlling us is to reach out and take that hand. Whether it may be from family, friends, colleagues, strangers, or even our pets, it's all the same. It is important to have people around us that will be there in times of need as our parachute. They are the ones that will talk us through our fear and help us overcome it. When dealt with alone, fear will run rampant through our minds and lay waste to our emotions and mental state. Having a parachute is usually the best way to overcome our fear.

If this is being read in a time of crisis, just know that there is always still hope for us yet. The light still shines at the end of the tunnel. As we navigate through this dark, twisted realm of fear and despair, keep true and believe that your parachute will be there when you need it most. Fear is a powerful emotion. But rather than let it control us, we should keep others around us that can be the hand we grasp on to in the dark.