In my part of the world, October 31st is Halloween. If you aren't familiar with this custom, you can read more about it here.

The article I just referenced says that "Halloween is a holiday that is based around embracing scary things - " Halloween decorations, costumes, and movies all contain strong elements of fear. This got me thinking about what fear really is and how we can overcome it.

Here are a few definitions of fear:
"an unpleasant feeling of perceived risk or danger, real or not"
"an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger"

Think for a moment about the scariest movie that you've ever seen. What made it so scary? Where did the fear come from?

I'll bet that your answer has everything to do with the unknown. As the hero of the movie walks down the dark hallway and we hear a strange noise just ahead, we don't know what will happen next, so we become afraid for the hero.

Fear is always based on the future. Perhaps we fear something that may happen years in the future (having insufficient funds for retirement) or two seconds in the future (losing your footing while on a slippery ladder). At the absolute core of fear is uncertainty.

So it stands to reason that the best way to conquer your fears is to focus on the present moment and to not let your mind run away with you.

By focusing on the present and dealing with the certainties of life, you will find that you free yourself from the paralyzing grip of fear.

Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.

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