The warning system can be tampered with by outside sources
An internal warning system is built into most humans. This system detects threat and danger, sends signals via the sympathetic nervous system, activating our fight or flight response. When all is in working order, this system is fantastic and useful for the human bestowed by nature with this gift of danger detection. Now here is the disconcerting truth. This system is sensitive and subject to malfunction, override, unnecessary rewiring and disconnect. The warning system can be tampered with by outside sources and when this happens, balance is challenged and one can be thrown off kilter.
Play in the sandbox sweetheart, where you will be safe
Here is an example: A child is in the park with parents close by. The child has climbed the ladder of play ground equipment with the intention of going down the slide. Suddenly without warning, the child is plucked from the eighth of ten rungs and told “That is too high for you, you might get hurt. Here, play in the sandbox sweetheart, where you will be safe”. Where there was no evident fear or pressing worry in the child, a seed has been planted by someone they trust, someone outside of their experience. There are several messages inside this one large message, can you name them? These messages are repeated to the child in innumerable ways and the child’s natural interest in exploring and testing physical (and more poignantly psychosocial) limits become emotionally charged fear filled experiences. The child becomes limited and thwarted and this, my dear reader, is an unnatural override of a healthy system built to serve the body it resides in. How can the child trust him/herself in the world if told early and often, not to?
A sense of fear may take hold and prevail
In the above example, the child becomes disconnected from him/herself and the physical world around them because what they wanted to do (climb and slide) was interrupted by someone outside of them. A sense of fear may take hold and prevail, followed by all choices being made or not made while looking through a veil of potential danger. The world becomes a suspiciously scary place where being careful is of utmost importance. As child grows into adult, fears can become neurosis, defined as: “a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality.” The poisonous fear seed was planted early and took root, rewiring a healthy system with one that sends unnecessary danger messages far too frequently.
Transference of fear
In our example and in psychological terms, there has been emotional transference from parent to child. Fear messages amongst other restrictive messages, have been sent and received, impacting the child's self confidence in the world. At this point, I ask you to again, look above to the definition of neurosis. In this definition, the symptoms of a mild form of mental illness are not of an organic nature. My point is that the damage caused by parents or guardians who override the naturally wholesome system that their children or wards are born with can cause depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour and hypochondria.
Are you guilty of not being careful
Perhaps this has been your experience, dear reader? Perhaps a well meaning and yet unaware adult imposed an override in your system that has resulted in malfunction? Has fear had much too much say in where you go, what you do, with whom and when? And then there is this: when something goes wrong, do you curse yourself for not having known better; for being too precocious; for taking too big a risk? Are you guilty of not being careful? Lastly, is it your fault because you should have could have done things differently to prevent the hardship or injury/illness that has happened?
You can rewire yourself
Relating to the above may have you wondering what can be done? What can you do to free yourself from this strangle hold fear has on you and your life? I speak from personal experience when I tell you that change is possible. You can rewire yourself dear one, by questioning if your fears are valid and true. By testing them in the world around you and by returning to your original natural setting of trusting yourself and the system that is perfectly built into you. If climbing to the top of a jungle gym and taking the slide down to the bottom frightens you, do it anyway. Chances are, you will survive, little kids do it all the time. Not interested in playground fun? Find something else to challenge yourself with that scares the heck out you, proving that fear is not the boss of you.
You are wonderfully made by a Masterful Craftsman, with built in mechanisms for brilliance and majesty. Taking risks whether or not they work out the way you hoped and planned are part of this amazing life you get to live. Let no man, nor poisonous fear plant, steal your birthright.
An internal warning system is built into most humans. This system detects threat and danger, sends signals via the sympathetic nervous system, activating our fight or flight response. When all is in working order, this system is fantastic and useful for the human bestowed by nature with this gift of danger detection. Now here is the disconcerting truth. This system is sensitive and subject to malfunction, override, unnecessary rewiring and disconnect. The warning system can be tampered with by outside sources and when this happens, balance is challenged and one can be thrown off kilter.
Play in the sandbox sweetheart, where you will be safe
Here is an example: A child is in the park with parents close by. The child has climbed the ladder of play ground equipment with the intention of going down the slide. Suddenly without warning, the child is plucked from the eighth of ten rungs and told “That is too high for you, you might get hurt. Here, play in the sandbox sweetheart, where you will be safe”. Where there was no evident fear or pressing worry in the child, a seed has been planted by someone they trust, someone outside of their experience. There are several messages inside this one large message, can you name them? These messages are repeated to the child in innumerable ways and the child’s natural interest in exploring and testing physical (and more poignantly psychosocial) limits become emotionally charged fear filled experiences. The child becomes limited and thwarted and this, my dear reader, is an unnatural override of a healthy system built to serve the body it resides in. How can the child trust him/herself in the world if told early and often, not to?
A sense of fear may take hold and prevail
In the above example, the child becomes disconnected from him/herself and the physical world around them because what they wanted to do (climb and slide) was interrupted by someone outside of them. A sense of fear may take hold and prevail, followed by all choices being made or not made while looking through a veil of potential danger. The world becomes a suspiciously scary place where being careful is of utmost importance. As child grows into adult, fears can become neurosis, defined as: “a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviour, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality.” The poisonous fear seed was planted early and took root, rewiring a healthy system with one that sends unnecessary danger messages far too frequently.
Transference of fear
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| Fear reduces self-confidence |
Are you guilty of not being careful
Perhaps this has been your experience, dear reader? Perhaps a well meaning and yet unaware adult imposed an override in your system that has resulted in malfunction? Has fear had much too much say in where you go, what you do, with whom and when? And then there is this: when something goes wrong, do you curse yourself for not having known better; for being too precocious; for taking too big a risk? Are you guilty of not being careful? Lastly, is it your fault because you should have could have done things differently to prevent the hardship or injury/illness that has happened?
You can rewire yourself
Relating to the above may have you wondering what can be done? What can you do to free yourself from this strangle hold fear has on you and your life? I speak from personal experience when I tell you that change is possible. You can rewire yourself dear one, by questioning if your fears are valid and true. By testing them in the world around you and by returning to your original natural setting of trusting yourself and the system that is perfectly built into you. If climbing to the top of a jungle gym and taking the slide down to the bottom frightens you, do it anyway. Chances are, you will survive, little kids do it all the time. Not interested in playground fun? Find something else to challenge yourself with that scares the heck out you, proving that fear is not the boss of you.
You are wonderfully made by a Masterful Craftsman, with built in mechanisms for brilliance and majesty. Taking risks whether or not they work out the way you hoped and planned are part of this amazing life you get to live. Let no man, nor poisonous fear plant, steal your birthright.
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