CLOSING THOUGHTS

When I think of fear, I often think of something physical, like my physical body being hurt.

Uncertainty feels more like an internal, emotional thing, like when my mind spins over and over when I’m working through something or am in a transition. It’s the parts of life I can’t quite “see” with my literal (or figurative) eyes, yet I work soooo hard to see them.

This tug of war between external and internal processing reminds me of a ride at an amusement park (remember those?). When I look at the first climb of the track, my body begins to doubt whether this is safe and fear sets in. However, that fear is driven by uncertainty because I’ve never done this ride before, and I likely just waited an hour to ride it, uncertainty building good solid roots in my body. Then fear takes over again as I go through the motions of following the instructions for the ride, putting away my belongings, and what feels like, leaving my safety in the hands of ride engineers and operators.

Almost always the fear subsides as certainty comes to fruition… I see what we are doing, I see where the ride is taking me. I begin to trust even if I can’t see what’s around the next corner or twist. I’m on the ride, and my body is doing the “thing,” I’ve taken the step, the action so the uncertainty doesn’t seem as frightening.

So, is action the antidote to fear and uncertainty? Is surrender? Something else?

We live in a world where the steps for navigating fear and uncertainty are super complex in super diverse ways. There is fear and uncertainty for simple daily living, like how walking out the door can invite fear and uncertainty to so many people’s lives. It’s a bit daunting. Who am I to even speak about fear when I’ve never feared for my life in the way others have. (I mean my main story above was about an amusement park ride… hello privilege!) This issue of BodyMind Living Magazine helped me remember that taking action, even just one step, in spite of fear and uncertainty, can support my continued growth as well as supporting my neighbor’s. When we collectively face fear — in whatever form it takes in our lives and walk the uncertain “how” path anyway, we create a ripple, a ripple for dissipating fear. After this month’s issue, my hope is that you receive continued affirmation on your journey to take the next step, and hopefully with the metaphorical or literal hand of another in yours because together we rise*!

*“Together we rise” is a phrase used in many sociocultural and political organizations, like the non-profit that supports foster care children, social justice organizations, and more.

Shana exhorts us to continue the conversation about fear and uncertainty and navigating here on social media. Leave us a comment, or send us a message, we want to hear your thoughts. (CLICK THE

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