Lessons on FEAR from a centipede
Friday was a rainy overcast day, and I went on my usual morning walk. In spite of the rain, I was determined to sit in nature for a little while, and connect. I made it to my usual place and, surprise, a few centipedes were sitting on my very spot. So I knocked them over, placed a little blanked on the wet tree trunk and sat happily, when I saw another centipede walking straight towards me. I knocked that little guy off of the trunk, when I heard “Well that was not very nice! What did you do that for?”. Surprised, I started a conversation with this centipede. And this is how it went.
— “I am sorry, dear centipede, for knocking you off the trunk.”
— “Well that was not very nice. I was minding my own business walking after the rain, like I always do, and I suddenly found myself flying through the air. What did you do that for?”
— “I am very sorry. I was afraid.”
— “Afraid of what?” he asked.
It took me a minute to tune into it and feel the fears. And it all came pouring. There were so many. Fear of dying and decay. Fear of disappearing. Dissolution of the body. Fear of being taken over and consumed by external forces. Invaded. Destroyed. Pulled into the darkness. Fear of death and physical death. Fear of being weak and powerless, at the mercy of others. And many other things…
— “And how do you behave when you are afraid?” asked the centipede.
“You humans tend to take it out on others, when you are afraid. It is not your fault, I know, as fear was seeded deeply in you.
But notice how you react when you are afraid and you believe the ILLUSION that you can CONTROL anything at all.
Notice how you project it against others and, in the end, it still remains inside of you.
While you think that you can CONTROL life, the FEAR is an ILLUSION. And the ILLUSION CONTROLS your life.
What would your lives be, without the illusion of fear? And how would you be with each other?
You humans are very funny. The very shadows that you are afraid of are following you everywhere. TURN AROUND AND FACE THEM!
ACCEPT THEM. SURRENDER TO THEM. And figure out what is on the other side of FEAR.
You might just find yourselves living in harmony, and allowing others to live as they see fit as well.”
And this is where this one ended…
Love and light, Doria