The neuro term for emotions is described as “a pleasant or unpleasant mental state organised in the limbic system of the mammalian brain. Specifically, feelings of agreement, anger, certainty, control, disagreement, disgust, disliking, embarrassment, fear, happiness, hate, interest, liking, love, sadness, shame, surprise and uncertainty” – all expressed nonverbally.

Fear is described as a usually unpleasant, visceral feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or dread.

Fear is created by giving your power away through ideas and beliefs about: lack, judgment, punishment, loss, abandonment, loneliness, wrongness, badness, mistakes, death, sickness, suffering, struggle, helplessness, powerlessness, danger, authority, failure etc.

The knowledge that we are all magnificent powerful beings is not easy to believe when you constantly feel like a victim. It is not easy to accept that what you believe in and focus on is what you draw to yourself – you create more of it. If you focus on success, you will most certainly become successful. If you focus on positive, uplifting experiences, it will all be yours. Be warned, if you focus on what you don’t want… it will also be yours. You will have to examine your own mind to uncover the limiting beliefs you have created, which triggers fear. Fear acts like a magnet. When we are in fear we concentrate on that – and draw more of the same to us.

Before you can empower the reality that you are powerful and that you can create whatever you want, you have to stop empowering the belief that you can’t…

There are numerous things you can do to overcome the emotions that overpower you when you are in fear:

• Breathe. Begin to breathe slowly and deeply. Close your eyes and go into a meditative state. (prayer is also meditation)
• Imagine any emotional cords from other people, which are attached to you, as being released and see it floating away.
• Relax your body. Take a hot bath with relaxing music and burn some perfumed candles.
• Take back the power you have given to those fears and others by expecting the worst. Think of a single, positive sentence that would describe the opposite of your fear, for example: “I am calm and in control of the situation”. Feel the calmness and “experience” the control in your mind. Let go of the notion that you are not in control. You created the belief that you are not in control – change it with one single affirming sentence that you can repeat calmly and peacefully whilst breathing deeply and slowly with your eyes closed. Create a detailed fantasy of a positive outcome.
• Let go of any particular solution you may have in mind, especially if it is a solution you don’t want. Don’t expect a solution straight away. Trust that the best thing will happen – it always does. Even when it seems as though the world is coming to an end.
• Phone someone you trust and ask them to be with you or just speak on the phone. Talking about a situation always helps.
• Give yourself a pleasurable experience. Have a massage or go for a brisk walk if you can.
• Get into the present moment. Let go of the “if only…”; “what if…” or “I should have…” notions. Become aware of everything around you. The birds, the music, the traffic. Look at the colours of the flowers and the sky. Experience the now.
• The other option you have is to allow yourself to feel the fear, without resistance. Let the feelings flow through you and don’t try to change them. A natural shift will occur when you allow the fear to be there.

You can let go of the fear and distorted perceptions and beliefs by writing positive affirmations, which will change your life forever. An affirmation cannot contain any negative words like “can’t, should not, don’t, won’t, stop” etc. It should be written in present terms as though what you want already exists. For example:

• I am in control of my life.
• I am emotionally strong and I make good choices.
• I have a strong, healthy body.
• I have good relationships with people.
• I am successful and powerful

Remember, what you concentrate on is what you create. Write you affirmations by hand. Say your affirmations out loud, at least ten times per day. Concentrate on every word and listen to what you say. Smell your success. Be your success. Experience it through the art of visualisation. Use as many of your senses as possible. Smell it, see it, taste it, feel it, hear it.

You don’t have to believe your affirmations when you start. I can assure you that within one or two weeks of saying your affirmations out loud, 10 times per day, using as many senses as possible at the same time, you will make it happen and the fear will go. It always does.

Create new experiences that you really want instead of living in fear of the ones you have now. Remember, your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. Changing your inner world will change your outer world. In other words, changing your thoughts and beliefs will change your experiences.

By Elsabé Manning