The Restriction Known as Fear.

Gravity. It a force. More precisely, it is a force that holds us down. It has positvie and negative aspects. It keeps the Earth intact, however, it hurts when something drops on us due to the very same force. Typically,it can be said that this force keeps us from flying off into the unknown abyss of space. However, it can be expanded in saying that it is a force that restricts us from leaving our present locations suddenly, unless, of course, we become astronauts. That is highly unlikely, so the next analogy should make sense: As gravity restricts our bodies as to what we can do, fear restricts our minds as to what we could do.

It's true, is it not? After all, we can not float into the sky, due to gravity. It restricts us, it keeps us from doing something with our bodies. And what does fear do? We sometimes can not move because of it, because the fear has immobilized our mind and has restricted us from doing something we could do. Therefore, although fear & gravity may seem like two very different things, they are actually quite similar. They restrict humans to some degree & are forces that do not take up space. Although they may not take up space, they most certainly affect our lives in very profound ways.

Think of a day, simply a day, without gravity? How would we be able to wash our hands and brush our teeth? Eat breakfast? How would we even get to school? Now, think of living a day without fear. Would you take a different route? Would you wake through the senior lockers during break and greet everyone? Would you walk into class 5 minutes late without fearing what the instructor has to say to you about that? Would you walk with an untucked shirt and not care what the deans would do?

Gravity keeps us in check, in fact, it keeps us alive. Fear keeps us safe, since we know not to walk at night out of fear for what might happen at such a late hour. However, we do not need to allow fear to over-ride our lives. When we see someone that we wish to approach, we should not walk the other way out of fear. We should simply continue on in their direction, greet them, and continue on if no conversation ensues. When we see them, we should not hide behind books, we should raise our heads and say hello. When they pass by your group, you should smile at them and greet them,not hide in the middle until they pass you.

When you allow fear to run your life, you will have regrets. For example, when you turn around rather than face to greet them, you feel unfulfilled. When they see you and you pretend to be reading or distracted, it seems rude and hurtful. And when they pass by while you are hiding in the group, you feel as if you wasted time and a chance.

Therefore, we shouldn't allow fear to get the best of us by scaring us out of doing things that we really shouldn't be afraid to do. Obviously, any physical risks should be considered. But if all of the situaiton is simply mind over matter playing a trick on you, you really should consider toppling it. When you conquer a fear, it makes you feel great. The way I see it, in order to stay an optimist, you need to seize the chances that God gives you , not waste them out of fear. Because in the end, who do want to be the victor. You or the restricting force known as fear?