Fear as an opponent

[Francis Takahashi]

"Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance."
--Arnold Glasow

Motivating yourself to act is more about alleviating your fear than it is about provoking desire. Fear of loss is a greater motivator than the desire to gain.

People are filled with desire. Who doesn't have a dream or two? Rare is the person who looks at their life and has no aspirations, no "one day" goal, no moment on a lazy Saturday afternoon when they fantasize about the future they see for themselves, their families, and the valuable people in their respective spheres.

Fear keeps the lid on real dreams. Many people go after only their small dreams because then when it comes to the really big ones, they're terrified. They don't know where to begin. There's nothing they can do to put the fear aside, no one who can help them find the trailhead through the dark woods. No one, except themselves.

So, treat your fear for what it is, not enough information and not enough action to confront it. Do your due diligence and learn all you can about what scares you.

Dare to address your fear and demand that it prove itself better and stronger than your desire to act freely. It remains your option to deal with it, or be dealt by it.

Choose to stay in charge of your behavior, and stay in charge of your life.

This is the Way of Aiki.

[Carina Rei]

Thank you Takahashi Sensei for this reflective post, thinking about it, a story came to my mind, that I would like to share.

In a land at war, there was a king who caused terror.
Whenever he got prisoners, he did not kill them, he took them to a room where a group of archers were at one side and a huge iron door of the other, on which were carved figures of skulls covered with blood.

In this room the king made them form a circle and told them
"You can choose between dying pierced by arrows of my archers or go through that mysterious door."

All prisoners chose to be killed by the archers.
After the war, a soldier who long served the king turned to the king and said
- Sir, may I ask you a question?, - And the king replied: Tell soldier. - What was behind the hideous door?.
- Go and see for yourself. - replied the king.
The soldier then opened the door fearfully, as he did it, sunlight came in and cleared the air, he discovered with surprise that the door opened on a road to freedom.

The soldier looked at his king, who said - I gave them the choice, between a certain death or to open this door.

How many doors we don't open for fear of risking?. How many times we lose freedom and die inside, only because we are afraid to open the door to our dreams?. -

As you wrote in this story fear was about not enough information and not enough action to confront it.
I suggest all readers to open the door and walk the path to your freedom.

Please find the translation in spanish here
http://entrenandoaikido.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/el-miedo-como-un-adversario.html
and in german here
http://wirtrainierenaikido.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/die-angst-als-gegner.html