Thursday, March 19, 2009

Today, 6.3 million American adults aged 18-54 have some type of specific fear. Although the most common fears tend to be public speaking, death, spiders, darkness, heights, social situations, flying, open spaces, thunder and lightening, and confined spaces?in that order, the current economy has brought a host of additional fears to the forefront of American?s minds. These include the loss of a job, of a home and of retirement income or financial investments.

For this reason, it?s more important than ever to learn how to move through fear. According to Nina Amir, president of Pure Spirit Creations and the author of the e-book Navigating the Narrow Bridge, 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When Life Seems Most Precarious, ?No matter how much or how little fear you feel?or for what reason, that fear stops you from living your life fully and creating the life you desire. Fear prevents you from achieving your highest potential and immobilizes you on the path to your dreams.

Amir?s teachings on the subject of fear stem from the words of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, a rabbi who lived form 1772 to 1820 and who is credited with breathing new life into the Jewish movement known as Chasidism. One of his well-known sayings has most commonly been translated from Hebrew to English this way: ?A person walks in life on a narrow bridge. The most important thing is not to be afraid.?

Amir explains that the narrow bridge represents life. ?Most of life is scary. Only we don?t always think about life in that way. We don?t see ourselves poised on a narrow, rope bridge hanging over a deep ravine. However, that?s how we exist day to day never knowing from moment to moment what could happen to us, whether we will live or die, whether the slats of the bridge will hold us when we take our next step,? she says. ?Most of the time, we aren?t fearful. We might, however, be afraid of a spider, or of interviewing for a new job, or of asking someone out on a date, or of not having the money to pay our mortgage this month.?

When it comes to living our lives, however, Amir says, we have faith that the bridge will hold our weight. And because we have faith, we don?t focus upon thoughts that ?make? us afraid. In fact, Rebbe Nachman?s words are more accurately translated as, ?The most important thing is not to make ourselves afraid.? She explains, ?What he is telling us is that fear is all about our thoughts?where we focus them. If we think about the possibility of danger or of negative outcomes or of unwanted futures we make ourselves afraid. If we focus on our faith, or on the fact that we are okay?safe and sound?in this moment, we do not make ourselves afraid. Instead, we give ourselves courage to take a step forward on the bridge called life.?

Amir admits that she has always had fears. She gets through them ?one step at a time? and with a lot of faith. ?I believe fear stops us from living our lives fully. I think it becomes our jailor if we let it. And I don't want to be jailed. I want to move through life freely and fully. I don't want to find that I haven't lived up to my full potential, because I was too afraid to take steps towards my dreams and goals. I don?t want to be less than I could be because fear stopped me in my tracks,? she says.

?I realized a long time ago that most things I think I am afraid of really aren't worth worrying about. Once I have moved through my fears, I can laugh at how silly they were. I try to remember that and how amazing life is?even the scary parts. Actually, they are kind of exhilarating, especially after you move through them,? she adds

One last thing helps Amir move through fear, and she offers this as an additional tip to others feeling fearful especially given the current world economic situation. ?I try to always remember the miracle of life,? she concludes. ?It?s a miracle that we survive and exist on this bridge at all. It's a miracle that we walk on the bridge and don't even realize that we are swinging precariously over a deep ravine. This isn't much different than us standing on Planet Earth as it hurtles through space or than us being on the fifth floor of a building that consists of particles made of nothing but space vibrating in space. Yet, we feel safe in both those situations. That's a miracle. Every moment, every hour, every day that we are alive represents a miracle.?

Amir is a seasoned journalist, Jewish inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month. She holds a BA in magazine journalism from Syracuse University?s S.I Newhouse School of Public Communication with a concentration in psychology, is a certified rebirther, and is trained as a Tarot reader and as a Voice Dialogue facilitator. Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions. She is currently writing a full-length version of her Navigating the Narrow Bridge e-book.