Books

How Not to be Afraid of Your Own Life

An inspirational and practical guide to conquering fear and embracing joy.

Each of us is born seeking a meaningful life. We have a natural ability to sense what is significant, live in peace, and surround ourselves with love. From the moment we arrive, we are instinctively drawn toward warmth, closeness, and acceptance. When the world doesn’t provide what we seek, we’re shocked. The rejection is completely unexpected and we withdraw. Once we have met with a negative reception, our initial response to new faces and first-time experiences becomes fear, not love. At this point we have lost touch with reality, not the other way around: to live in fear is to live in a delusional state. When we are fearful, we simply can’t see who or what is in front of us-all we see is our fear, and that is what we react to, plan for, and anticipate. 

Fear can be conquered. We can meet any situation, important or trivial, old or new, surprising or predictable, with self-confidence, gentleness, and elegance. And we don’t have to change one thing about ourselves to do so. In fact, we already possess all the courage we’ll ever need, and it-not fear-can animate the way we think about ourselves, others, and the world. The ancient practice of meditation can show us how.

-From the Introduction