Letting Go Of Fear

When we are faced with events or moments in our lives that cause us to fear something it is easy to slip into the role of always behaving this way. If an event or moment were to come along that reminds us of something that came before, something we had a hard time with, it is easy to associate it with the current moment or event. We often look at life as a repeating pattern, especially when it comes to our fears, for that which we fear the most we expect to happen again. Why is it this way, why do we make it so hard on ourselves? It is because that which we cannot control scares us and that which we fear the most is the least within our control.
In order to let go of the fear you must see yourself as becoming one with it. If we are always holding our fears away from us, then we never own or accept it. When the acceptance is there it is easier to let it go. What is important to realize is this-- fear is control. To accept something that happened before is to realize that we had no control over it.
To release the idea of control is to set the fear free. This includes the memory, the emotion and the resulting effect it has on our lives. Those of us who have experienced something that we fear might happen again and have tailored that fear to fit within our lives know how much of our life is affected by it. We are always waiting for it to happen again, guarding and protecting ourselves from ever being hurt again, but the truth is by fearing something we are always looking for it. And when we look we tend to find it, even in the smallest way.
We fit the thing we fear the most into our lives. It is sad to realize that we are the one keeping the pattern going. If we could release the fear, we would find the event ended a long time ago, so long ago in fact that we are only carrying the memory forward. This memory can fade; it can be let go of and released. By doing so you also let the fear and the expectation of it happening again go with it. You let the emotional baggage attached to it fade as well. Fear is something we learn; it is a behavior brought on by a need to be in control and to understand, but by releasing it you set it free. By releasing the event, by accepting it you can move on. You can live your life without fear and let go of the need to protect yourself as well.