Freedom from Fear at Thanksgiving

Last week was a great week.

For most of the world, it is the beginning of the holiday season and a time to reflect on what we are thankful for in our everyday lives.

It is a time for family and friends, food and drink, rest and relaxation.

It is a time to think.

I was recently interviewed by a European magazine and was challenged. They asked a simple question: What are we really thankful for these days?

I have done enough interviews to recognize a loaded question, so I asked them to narrow the focus of their question.

Well, they said, most of the world, whether they admit it or not, finds themselves in a time of growth and prosperity. True, the recent memories of a worldwide recession and unemployment are fresh, but for the most part, we are back on track. Things look great.

Information and travel have become second nature, the global overload of social media and instant access has us all connected. The game “Six Degrees of Separation” has never been easier – apologies to Kevin Bacon.

So, with all of the stimulus and activity, connectivity and access, what is it we should be thankful for?

I thought about this long and hard, and finally realized it came down to a single word.

My answer: Fear.

…not that we should be thankful for fear, but we should be thankful for the times when we are “free from fear.”

As I responded to the person doing the interview, they came back with three reasonably accurate events happening in the world today asking how they impact the world’s economy and should we be afraid. (I told you it was a loaded question).

I sat back and thought about it for a moment before I realized that even with all the threats we face, it is all just a myth; there is nothing – and I mean – nothing, no reason whatsoever to be fearful.

Please don’t think I am minimizing the personal impact that the “real threats” can have on families and communities around the world, because I am not.

My point is simple: in the season of thanksgiving, reflect on what you should be thankful for, even when others want you to fold to their desires, because they are motivated by different factors.

The reality is a lot of good will come from the things the “world” wants you to fear.

This Thanksgiving, I find myself at peace knowing we really have nothing to fear.

The world economy is fine; we just need to understand that the bad guys and alarmists will always be there. So let’s get over it.

What worries me is not the boogieman or zombies, but what we do to ourselves by creating false ideals for our future. In a lot of cases, the “ideals” are created by the very same “boogieman” we fear the most.

It is like chasing the horizon as a child and collapsing with exhaustion before we ever get there. Sadly never realizing we could not reach it in the first place – just what the boogieman ordered.

The reality – we will be fine – we always are.

If you’re asking about future bumps in the road; I guarantee it, but don’t be afraid.

If you are, look within, that’s where fear usually begins.

So, how do we beat it?

The same way we always do: we replace our doubt with faith.

If we do, wonderful things will happen and the boogieman will finally disappear. At least until we forget and call him back to spook us once again.

So this year, fear not, and let’s be thankful for what we have accomplished within.

Let us be thankful for what is real.

Let us be thankful for a faith that always overcomes our doubt.

-DB