On a snowy winter night I decided to go outside. It was dark, I couldn’t see anything, yet continued to walk towards the pitch black abyss in front of me. Dressed in shorts and a tank top I felt the wind having its effect on me. A chill began to run down my spine and the hair of my skin stood up, not because of the weather, but because of uncertainty. Where was I heading? Why did I do it? The answers to those questions I did not have at that time. It was an enlightening experience as I was able to face fear which I had deliberately created.

Where Was I

The situation wasn’t real, as in, I actually wasn’t in danger of any kind. My home was just nearby and there was no possibility of me freezing to death. However, for a slight moment I perceived it as reality. I began to imagine, what if? What if it were real? What if I was in actual wilderness with no safety around me? What if, instead of it being a casual stroll on a winter night, it would’ve been a survival scenario?

I would’ve had to rely solely on my killer instinct and try to not freeze over, to which I’m no stranger to (What I learned at sniper school / My cold thermogenesis practice). Despite that I still had to face fear and uncertainty.

The Safety Net

It made me realise that safety is just an illusion, something bestowed upon us which isn’t natural to have. Our entire society is resting upon this fragile constructed comfort which we’ve become so dependent of.

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that man alone, if not conditioned appropriately, would perish in nature. Any other person, with no previous experience, in a real situation, would not have made it through the night.

Another realisation hit me. Not about the cold or discomfort, but about something a lot more important which this is all about. This situation was a template for overcoming any resistance and thus surthriving. Not only surviving by making ends meet but, instead, rising above the turmoils of life, becoming self-empowered and thriving as a being.

The Struggle is Real

In the unforgiving environment of nature one is on the verge of destruction. It’s a constant struggle. Uncertainty will always be there.

Being afraid is a natural response to exertion and pushing oneself. It occurs when we’re forced to roll the dice and take the step into the pitch black abyss from which we don’t know if we’re going to return.

But we will, despite the scars endured and point of exhaustion reached, as greater than before. It’s necessary to do so. Face fear and you have the possibility to grow. Don’t and fall victim to the tides of stagnation and eventually death.

Follow the Anxiety

Fear is a compass leading us in the direction we’re supposed to be heading towards. The things we’re afraid of the most are the things we need to be doing. It comes from the ego’s desire to protect itself. To not expand and maintain inner equilibrium. There is no difference between running from predators, gasping for air between waves or rolling the dice and taking a chance in anything we do. It’s all equally as scary, yet necessary.

Because of the anxiety and dread it creates, fear scores quite low on the scale of consciousness. It’s a lower vibration which tries to prevent us from rising to transcendent levels. The antidote to that is courageousness, the ability to face fear despite it’s presence and ultimately defeat it. This trait is characteristic to heroes, great men and self-empowered beings. It operates as a gateway between the lower and higher stages of existence.

In order for us to transform and evolve as a person we need to be growing. This doesn’t imply towards equilibrium but motion. It means we have to face fear in everything we do. Without anxiety and uncertainty it wouldn’t feel right. It’s presence is necessary for us to recognize the right course. The impediment it creates is but an illusion to test our worth. No obstacle is overcome without climbing it, no dragon is slain without confronting it in battle. There is no other way around it. Luckily, there is a way through it.

Face Fear and Become a Lion.

It might seem dangerous, and it certainly is to the ego. Being scared is a part of the process and necessary. Those who face fear are lionchasers. That is the perfect illustration for this, as it sounds like the worst profession to have. To go after the king of the savannah.

Despite the anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies the charge they make their own terms with the sovereign. The foe is a lot bigger and stronger but the look in the eyes of a lionchaser signifies towards a lot more power. Bordering with obsessive, that of the good kind, it flashes in the sun and reveals the true intention of the hunter. The lion now also has to face fear. Whoever manages to overcome the inner feeling of resistance and manifest it externally wins.

To conquer this feeling we have to face fear head on. Like said, it’s an illusion played by the ego to prevent us from taking action, which causes exertion and could potentially put our survival in jeopardy. However, whether we make it or not is determined by our degree of conditioning and skill, not by the situation we’re in. The effort we put into confronting it is a lot more important. Without the necessary reference experience it would turn into an insurmountable force.

The Lion-Wrestler

Hercules, the hero of Ancient Greece, did exactly this. The Nemean lion had been terrorizing the local people for a long time. King Eurystheus gave Hercules the task to bring him the beast’s invulnerable skin.

During his chase Hercules realised that his arrows had no effect on the target. When the lion had escaped into its cave the hero followed. In close quarters he entered into hand-to-claw combat and eventually choked his foe to death. After that he took his skin and started to wear it as a cloak himself.

Hercules had to face fear, did it despite the danger and, figuratively speaking, became the lion he had slain. Not only was he now a much better fighter but also managed to display his self-mastery to himself.

His success was the result of his courageousness. The lion must’ve been shocked when Hercules entered the cave and decided to wrestle with the beast. No one had ever done that. Hercules overcame the anxiety and was able to face fear despite being between its jaws. He was victorious because of being able to take control of his thoughts and actions.

Face Fear and Transcend.

Facing our fears is a lot more important than to simply rise above any form of resistance that impedes our greatness. It’s also a means towards transcendence.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and The Egyptian Book of The Dead have one common scene in them concerning what happens after death. When a person dies their soul will be summoned to a room. In Egypt inside the pyramids, in Tibet inside a mountain. It’s the purgatory that Christianity talks about and where the idea was conceived.

Before the soul can enter the spiritual realm, become one with the all, it has to go through a trial. It’s done to find out whether or not the individual is worthy enough and understands the law. In front of him will be summoned monstrous beings, all trying to scare him. They’re not real but instead manifestations of the person’s own mind.

If the soul is conscious enough and able to face fear despite it’s presence he will not falter. Once the realisation has been made, that it’s all an illusion, enough perseverance will grant access to another realm. If the trial is failed and the soul becomes frightened then he is not aware of his inner turmoil. There isn’t enough self-mastery to face fear, not internal nor external. The soul will be thus expelled from the purgatory and cast back to the Earthly realm where he will be reincarnated.

The soul will then have to go through the circle of life again to gather enough wisdom and become conscious enough. To realise the fact that in order to transcend his mode of being he needs to become aware of who he is and that he is in control of his own reality.

How To Face Fear

There is definitely a lot to be learned from this. Face fear, become a lion and transcend are only some of the rewards we can get. However, it ought not to be done to receive some sort of a prize or to arrive somewhere. Hercules slayed the lion to save the people and become a renown hero, in addition to manifesting his true greatness. The soul who passed the trial did so to reach higher levels of consciousness, not as a means to an end but because it recognized itself in the midst of chaos, not by accident but because of its habitual mode of being. That’s the way we should approach this aswell.

Our means to face fear are the end themselves. The courageousness that is cultivated in the process is the best reward and enables us to reach higher levels of consciousness. The only way to overcome these obstacles is to have self-mastery. The act itself becomes a manifestation of our greatness and is done as evidence of our assertive expertise over ourselves.

The first step is to know the foe. Knowledge about fear and its nature gives us enough resources to face it. If we know what it is (an illusion) why it occurs (to protect our current self) and what we need to overcome it (courageousness) then doing so becomes the natural thing to do. What’s written here has plenty of information about this. We simply have to understand it and then take the next step.

Once knowledge has been gathered courageousness has to be summoned. It’s a much higher vibration than fear and therefore has more power. Without it we would simply become paralyzed by anxiety. If we can’t find bravery in our hearts then there is no self-mastery either. Remember, fear is our own creation and can be thus controlled. Courageousness can be summoned using our inner currents of energy. By becoming conscious in the present moment and aware of the turmoil that’s happening within. ( It’s a much higher vibration than fear and therefore has more power. Without it we would simply become paralyzed by anxiety. If we can’t find bravery in our hearts then there is no self-mastery either. Remember, fear is our own creation and can be thus controlled. Courageousness can be summoned using our inner currents of energy. By becoming conscious in the present moment and aware of the turmoil that’s happening within. ( How to take control of your thoughts and emotions.

Next to fear there now exists a counterforce with a lot more power. It’s vibration is a lot higher because it operates from a place of abundance and next level awareness, instead of scarcity and anxiety. The stage is set for battle, what needs to be done next is for it to commence. Whether or not it turns into a massacre depends on the degree of self-mastery. The weapon of choice for the hero is deliberate action. It’s steadfast motion towards the ranks of fear. Despite the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies the charge those with enough courageousness are able to ignore it. It’s having enough confidence and faith in oneself, in one’s self-mastery, that assures victory. There is no place for doubt or timidness, those are all manifestations of fear. It’s about telling oneself that it’s possible and realising that it’s natural to be feeling this way.

Overcome Your Fears

Like me on that cold winter night, like Hercules who went on to accomplish many more feats of strength, like the soul that reincarnated, we all need to face fear in some shape or form. It manifests itself in almost everything we do, when we’re trying to rise to become better, conduct change and rise to higher levels of consciousness.

For me it happened when I was writing my book, as I’m writing this and most definitely it impedes the path towards what I intend to do next with my life.

However, as I’ve managed to prove to myself countless times, I’m able to overcome it. It’s presence will never go away or get smaller, just my skill in dealing with it improves. Becoming a self-empowered being is about being able to face fear, stare into the eyes of the lion and remain conscious enough even when between its jaws.

Recently I published my first book called Becoming a Self-Empowered Being: Achieving Body-Mind-Mastery and Living One’s Calling. In addition to this topic it also talks about nutrition, exercise, meditation, motivation, purpose and much more. It reveals the principles of self-mastery and how to apply them, in order to become a self-empowered being. Read it and change your life.