“It takes courage to choose the harder road and to walk bravely in it, simply, steadfastly and uncomplaining. If you are right and know you are right it matters not what the world thinks or what it says. You can fight your way through the smoke of doubt, the choking atmosphere of misrepresentation, the blinding sulphurous clouds of unjust criticism and plow through the serried ranks of jealousy, cruelty and injustice, vitalized to new wondrous powers of resistance by the consciousness of right. You will know no fear but the fear of failing to do your best; you will glow in the thought that, no matter how hard the fight, the eagles of victory must finally rest on the banners of right.” ~ William George Jordan
The fear of failing to do one’s best is one of the few fears I would encourage holding onto for those desirous of living to their full potential. This fear pushes you to do better, to give more, to stay on point more consistently without the typical side-effects that come with other motivations, such as the fear of being wrong, the fear of making (or repeating) mistakes or the fear of disapproval.
Fear is rarely a creative motivation. It triggers processes in your body that heighten your awareness, strength and agility when you are under a physical threat, but more often than not fear controls where reason should hold sway. If you’re not careful fear tends to lead to one of two extremes: paralysis or frenzy. Neither are preferred to the consciousness of right.
The deeper you fall in love with the beauty, symmetry and elegant simplicity of truth, the more fully you are released from the death grip of fear. The closer your relationship with truth, the more likely it is that you will be conscious of right and not simply fooled by a semblance. It was once said that “perfect love casteth out fear” and I cannot imagine a more comforting and inspiring thought.
What fears have you held that you wish to be freed from, beginning now? If you think about it, fear is a form of worship. When you fear you say to the object of your concern: “You hold power over me” and “I am subject to you.” Fear, you may recall, is a synonym of reverence. It is for this reason that I have mentioned in previous posts that “What has your heart has you.”
To relinquish fear, you must love more perfectly. While I’m on the subject, don’t be afraid of that word, “perfection.” It is well within the realm of possibility, not something to be scoffed at or dreamed by means of some impossible dream.
Gregory Hake 
You really struck me with the reminder that fear is a synonym for worship. I think that neatly sums up the impulse behind both the paralyzing and the frenzied forms of fear. Either of these responses simply reinforces the fact that what you fear owns you, and makes the response automatic. The automatic response is our fight or flight system, a biochemical response that is rarely the best solution to an issue. We are looking to move onward and upward with our lives, and part of that is finding the elegant solution with sprezzatura, especially in difficult situations. We can’t have this unless we work for it when the pressure is off. The way to make the elegant solution the auto is to become familiar with what is really true. You can’t have the elegant solution if you are hamstrung by not knowing what is real and what is fake.
I think you nailed it when you said our fear should be the fear of living to our full potential, which is what we have done if we do not know the truth for ourselves.
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Colin!
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Oh to revere what is true brings light and understanding and life more abundantly.
Thanks for your words.
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You’re welcome, Dr. Steve.
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It would seem then that fear grows as there are vital elements of character left undeveloped, a kind of ignorance of sorts. Thus the way out of fear is a proper unfoldment of one’s potential through inner growth and development. It’s amazing how all these things are intertwined. Love the light in all things, and darkness falls away. Be of right mind and pure of heart in all things, and surely enough the promise holds true in due time where the fears no longer hold you captive. No need to struggle with your fears by trying to understand them; turn around and develop strength in the consciousness of right is the lesson I hear!
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The “death grip” of fear captures it so well.
I recently realised I’ve had big swathes of my life in which I’ve feared blame and criticism, and then underneath these, I saw for the first time something else: the fear of banishment.
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Fear, as you well point out, is an intense form of worship, binding the one who fears to the object of his or her fear. The only way such a binding influence can be dissolved is by means of a greater, more intense worship. That does include a certain fear of not being all one can be, or betraying one’s purpose, of failing to represent the right. The other side of the equation involves an insatiable love, respect and apprecation for what reveals itself to be right. From this firm axis the pulsations of righteous living may proceed, to great effect!
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Fear is the handcuff of evil. If we can be persuaded or bullied into fear we become not powerless but a force for that which works against the expression of our higher selves. Thanks for this post.
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Great post. I will be thinking today of the fears that I have and how I can start to relinquishing them based on your suggestions.
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