Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE

Have you ever pondered what your life might look like if you didn’t give way to fear? A few years ago, I had a profound experience that rattled my foundations, gave me insight and completely transformed my personal paradigm. I felt to share it today.

Several years ago, I had been asked and was expected to do something tremendously difficult and intimidating. I was flung wholly out of my comfort zone, feeling totally incapable of doing this thing, but there seemed no other alternative.

The deed had a time limit and in 2 hours I had to do it.  With that realization, I was suddenly gripped with panic; completely paralyzed. I could hardly breathe, and in my mind I vigorously protested, “There is NO way that I can possibly do this!”

A voice that changed my life

At this intense moment in time, I suddenly heard gentle words in my spirit saying, “Anne, WHO WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT FEAR?”

All of a sudden it was as if the world stopped and everything became clear. Who WOULD I be without fear?   Well, (I thought about the situation at hand), WITHOUT fear, I felt no anxiety, no negativity, and had the confidence and peace that I COULD do this. I had a “knowing” that no matter what happened, I would be ok. I even felt a sense of adventure, to attempt this new and untried experience. I marveled at the difference between how I felt at that moment of clarity and the way I had felt just seconds earlier.

Fear vs. No Fear

My mind then did a fascinating and unpredictable thing. It was as if it put all the emotion of the fear in one box, and me, transcending that fear, in another box. For some strange reason, I was able to toggle between them.

So, I went back to the paralysis of fear. There it was again, the gut-wrenching panic, dread and anxiety. It was palpable. I began to sweat as I felt the impossibility of doing this thing I knew I couldn’t do!

At this moment of great alarm, I thankfully switched back to the peace “box” where I felt ONLY POSITIVE feelings. This process was so fascinating to me. I continued to toggle back and forth to experience this difference.

Two hours to wait

I had 2 hours before I had to do this thing, and because of this enlightening experience, I knew that I could either be panicked or peaceful, and that I could choose. I chose peace.

The two hours of waiting came and went. It could have been a living hell or a peaceful time. I didn’t know how the actual experience would turn out, but at least I didn’t need to waste those two hours in terror and trepidation. Turns out, when the time came to “perform,” I could easily do what I thought I couldn’t do. I was sustained to do it, and it was no big deal. I was astounded!

Lessons learned

WITHOUT fear, we are open to receive divine help. We become powerful beings. Scripture tells us, “…inasmuch as you strip yourselves from…fears and humble yourselves before me…the veil shall be rent, and you shall see me and know that I am.” (D&C 67:10) When we feel the Spirit, we are “seeing” God because we are literally in the presence of a member of the Godhead.  This presence will ALWAYS give us peace.

Fear cripples us emotionally and strangles the lifeline of the Spirit.   It’s difficult to think clearly through the lens of fear, because it plunges us into darkness and we can’t see our way out.   The amount of fear we feel is directly proportional to our level of faith. In other words, the more fear we have, the less faith we have at that moment.

Who would YOU be without fear?

Try this exercise the next time you feel a fear begin to grip you:

  1. Question yourself, “Who would I be without fear?”
  2. Imagine what it would feel like to have no fear in your situation.
  3. Put all your fear in a “box,” and place the “you” without the fear in another “box.”

If you like, you can go back and forth from the fearful position to the             fearless position to experience the difference. Then, with God’s help, you             will make the superior choice.

Some fear is necessary for survival – to help us run faster when pursued, or to avoid engaging in risky behavior, but generally fear is just the act of tying into negativity and it hinders our progress. The Lord has said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D & C 6:36). He knows the vice grip that fear can have on us.   He wants us to call on Him in Faith, which is always very focused POSITIVE thought. By doing this, we’re confronting Satan in our mental battlefield, and using tools to defeat him.

When we focus on and are open to light, while letting go of any negative emotion, we elevate ourselves upward and become higher than the problem. From this elevated place, we can more easily see and feel solutions. Peter actually walked on water for those few seconds that he chose faith over fear.

Who COULD you be without fear? Who COULD you be without doubt or resentment? Once we become aware of the power and assurance that is available to us, we can choose to expand upward into light rather than darkness.

You can CONTACT Anne at an********@ho*****.com.