CFTD – Fear Part IX – Fear Of Love
by Stanley Bronstein on May 2, 2011CAUSE FOR THE DAY – Monday – May 2, 2011
Let’s define Fear and Love before we go any further:
Fear - A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension.
Love – A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. An intense emotional attachment.
SUBSETS OF LEGITIMATE AND UNWARRANTED FEAR
As we’ve discussed previously, there are Legitimate fears and Unwarranted fears.
Legitimate fear serves to protect us. Unwarranted fear serves to hold us back.
To me, Fear of love falls in both categories. That’s because any time we “dare” to love, there is a distinct possibility of getting hurt. Likewise, there is a distinct possibility of receiving something so wonderful and powerful that fearing it would be unwarranted.
SO SHOULD WE DARE TO LOVE?
Absolutely. The potential benefits of forming an intense emotional attachment with another person are too great to ignore.
When we are afraid to love, we make it difficult (if not impossible) for those benefits to reach us.
We may be protected and we might be able to avoid getting hurt, but we do so at the cost of missing out on the greatest emotional attachments a human being can form for another.
FEAR OF LOVE CAN HOLD US BACK
Whenever we fear “love”, it may keep us from allowing another into our lives at the deepest emotional levels.
Like so many things in life, it’s when we go a little deeper (or soar a little higher) that they begin to become interesting.
It works the same way with love.
So I ask:
Have there been times in your life when you were afraid to love?
Who have you feared to love?
Have you ever feared to love yourself?
Until next time, take care.Stanley Bronstein
The Warrior Walker
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