Spooky Fun

Spooky fun seems to be a misnomer of sorts...Let's face it: no one feels fear and fun at the same instant, unless you are on a roller coaster.  Even on a roller coaster ride you feel fear in a controlled environment and hence it appears like a thrill.  Would you ever venture on one if someone told you that there had been no maintenance done on the unit or worse if they thought a screw had come loose somewhere?

What is fear and why is it the driving force behind everything in life?  Why does the distressing emotion brought on by impending danger or pain force us to drive in over gear?  Fear of repercussion, fear of failure, fear of poverty, fear of death...the list is endless. What would our lives look like if we had none of these? 

Buddhism teaches us that much of our suffering, both as individuals and as a society ebbs from fear.  Fear is at the very root of our egos and personalities.  It manifests itself in the fight or flight syndrome worldwide and extensive research in science and religion is being done even to this day to understand how to overcome this emotion and master it.  There must be a bigger force of nature that allows soldiers to overcome fear in the face of death, that allows a mother to venture into the most daring acts of valor when it comes to her child or that pushes a person to unknown limits of bravery. 

Perhaps the keys to conquering fear are threefold:
1. To believe strongly: in yourself and a higher power
2. The confidence of knowing that our words and actions are true and
3. To free onself from constant judgement

When we start to heed our conscience and look at the world with our hearts rather than our egos,  we become liberated and there is nothing more fun in life than a fearless demeanor.