Fear Is a Story

Today's episode is drawn from the introductory chapter to a recent book by Gareth Higgins, "How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying." Higgins is a storyteller and peace activist who was born in Belfast during “the Troubles” and now lives in Asheville, North Carolina. The book’s title makes it sound like a slick how-to manual, but it’s not. It’s a thoughtful and vulnerable account of Celtic spirituality that “points us toward tenderness, empathy and gentle encounter with each other and with our deepest and most relentless fears.”One of the introductory chapters of the book is titled, “Fear Is a Story.” Fear is of course part of the human condition. We can’t avoid it. Some of it is healthy. But what Higgins is inviting us to notice is that the power of the fear we feel depends on the story we tell about it.Feedback? I'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Thanks for listening, friends. You are loved and never alone!