Honie Briggs

FEAR fills its pockets with day old goods from the corner fakery and sneaks in through the eye. It creeps along the sinus passage and ducks into a trench in the frontal lobe. It selects a path and follows it through the labyrinth, dropping crumbs along the way so it can find its way back and slide down into the chest where it intends to beat the heart into submission. First though, it needs to infiltrate the thoughts. It bores a small hole. Piercing through the defenses, it knocks stuff off the walls. Treasured photos, maybe a diploma or two, some certificates and awards, a lifetime of achievement lies in pieces on the floor.

Suddenly, a noise. Rumblings in the memory bank. A reminder message flashes, lighting up a dark corridor. FEAR quickens its pace and covers everything with hateful graffiti. It kicks over a recycle bin on its way out and rushes toward the heart.

Oh, the acronymity of it all!

In the gut there is a tightening; a surge, specific, measurable, and real. The senses heighten. Blood courses through the chamber just in time. Another flash exposes FEAR for what it really is. FEAR is knocked on its ass. How awesome is that?

I wish false evidence didn’t appear real so often in my life. It is a byproduct of over thinking. Fortunately for me I have a detection system. It is mostly reliable, sometimes needs a reboot, only required a complete overhaul a couple of times. Confidence isn’t my issue. Neither is courage. No, my issue is more like faulty wiring.

Ever replay a conversation and think, why did I say that? Ever choose to change and even put some skin in the game only to wonder, is this a mistake? Ever get a really bad case of the oh my god what if I fail, I can’t do it, there is another shit storm coming, I should take cover now before it’s too late? Well, if you have and you wonder what causes it, you too might have faulty wiring.

I’ll give you the signs to help diagnose this common issue:

First, an indicator light comes on. It doesn’t stay on; it just blinks from time to time. Everything functions per spec, respiration is normal, cognitive function gets you to and from work/school/the fridge/the sofa. You may notice it takes longer as motor function begins to stall. That’s when you need to do some maintenance. Routine maintenance can prevent this from turning into a real issue. You know, the kind of issue that can seriously WiFi things up. Yeah, WiFi is my new swear word thanks to Amy@The Bumble Files.

Second, don’t panic. Panic causes knee jerk reactions. That is the last thing you want. Breathe. That is the best thing to do. Just breathe. Ask, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Next, can I live with that? Here’s how that might go if you find yourself over thinking, say, a decision to pump thousands of dollars into going back to college in your forties to complete a degree that you started before life taught you about failure.

So, as you can see, even people with confidence and courage can be hoodwinked by fear. That faker! It gets inside with its fake ID and vandalizes what we have worked hard to accomplish. It doesn’t care what it trashes as long as it completes its mission. Today I am Summoning the Strength. My reward will be Beyond Belief.

Today’s post is brought to you by spider webs and Hostess snack cakes.

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