[Skeezyks]

I don't know if this is the best place for this post. But, since depression has been one thing I've struggled with over the years, I'll put it here.

I've written about the quote in the title to this Thread, in a couple of replies I've offered to other members' Threads. There is a story that was told by the late Chogyam Trungpa, the Tibetan meditation teacher. He wrote about the time when he, along with other followers of the Dalai Lama, were leaving Tibet for India as a result of the Chinese incursion into Tibet. Trungpa Rinpoche wrote that he knew an old monk who was known to say: "Walk toward what scares you." Trungpa Rinpoche wrote that the last time he saw him, the old monk was walking toward China.

Now, I'm an old man. And, at this point, I pretty-much just keep to myself. I do go out when I need to. It's not like I can't leave the house. But the reality is most everything outside my front door scares me. My health is not the best. And whenever I get out in public, I get nervous & confused easily. I also have limited transportation options... mostly the metro bus system, which I consider to be even more dangerous than the streets! I believe in what the old monk said: "Walk toward what scares you." But I don't, for the life of me, know what it means for me... How do I walk toward what scares me?

[vital]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I don't know if this is the best place for this post. But, since depression has been one thing I've struggled with over the years, I'll put it here.

I've written about the quote in the title to this Thread, in a couple of replies I've offered to other members' Threads. There is a story that was told by the late Chogyam Trungpa, the Tibetan meditation teacher. He wrote about the time when he, along with other followers of the Dalai Lama, were leaving Tibet for India as a result of the Chinese incursion into Tibet. Trungpa Rinpoche wrote that he knew an old monk who was known to say: "Walk toward what scares you." Trungpa Rinpoche wrote that the last time he saw him, the old monk was walking toward China.

Now, I'm an old man. And, at this point, I pretty-much just keep to myself. I do go out when I need to. It's not like I can't leave the house. But the reality is most everything outside my front door scares me. My health is not the best. And whenever I get out in public, I get nervous & confused easily. I also have limited transportation options... mostly the metro bus system, which I consider to be even more dangerous than the streets! I believe in what the old monk said: "Walk toward what scares you." But I don't, for the life of me, know what it means for me... How do I walk toward what scares me?

Hi Skeezyks,

I have a slogan for myself that might be related. These days I "feel my fear courageously." When I am afraid, I feel it fully and intensely and very physically. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I was depressed, I was afraid of my own feelings.

- vital

I'm not a student of philosophy but I have experienced fear and reacted in a way I think was wrong. And had a lot of time to contemplate over it afterwards. I suppose we should establish that the subject is fear... not a real physical danger although that could involved. I can't answer what it means for you. To me, hiding or avoiding a fear gives it more power. Feeds it... strengthens it. And prolongs its life. Fear can be a necessary and useful emotion. It's a normal reaction based on self preservation in many instances obviously. Climbing a tall rickety ladder to get on a steeply pitched roof or a rattlesnake on the path. He doesn't seem to be talking about that kind of fear tho it seems to me. More abstract fears such as getting on that bus or facing those uncertain fears waiting outside your door.
Do I seem to be on the right track?

[Mookster]

Thank you George, I just had an epiphany with what you said..

Thanks for this post, Skeezyks. It sounds to me like you're already doing some walking towards the fear by getting out in spite of having to deal with the bus system and facing whatever encounters may happen while you're out.

This post resonated with me because I take the bus, too. I have only been doing that for the last 4-5 years and since I live in a small town and the buses only come along every hour and service ends early, I have on occasion found myself stuck in places (which is a big fear for me.)

When you ask "how do I walk toward what scares me?" I'd say to look at what things you might not be doing because of fear. Are there things that you'd like to do or feel like you should do but are avoiding because they will bring discomfort?

I have a list of these things myself and am finding that progress is extremely slow.

I do firmly believe, though, that our anxiety about what might happen is almost always worse than the actual experience itself, so we are often doing ourselves a disservice by avoiding things out of fear.

Thanks again for this post.

[lima01]

Facing and accepting the fear is what Claire weekes is about . You can view her on you tube videos . She teaches accept the feeling and don''t react to them float thru them don't distract your self . By not reacting you can break the loop of fear on fear . So what if you hands shake etc . it can't hurt you if you don't fight or flight , stop the Adrenalin from hitting you again . Your nerves are over sensitized you need time and patience to let your system heal . Don't force your self to go on into the fear just accept it and let time pass. I think she was a very brilliant doctor . Most of the world did to before she passed away in 1990.
I am trying to use her stuff to recover myself . She will tell you the answer is simple but not easy to master. I am on some drugs to help and I have a psych that I see once a month he and I have not talked about this yet. Meanwhile I have to practice her methods .

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I do go out when I need to. It's not like I can't leave the house. But the reality is most everything outside my front door scares me. My health is not the best. And whenever I get out in public, I get nervous & confused easily.

I know the feeling. It's the same for me.

Walking (or driving) towards the doctors, the supermarket, the park... having to interact with people, to see the look in their faces as if judging and sentencing me... to be unable to explain to them why do I act the way I do, why do I feel what I feel...

"Walk Toward What Scares You"... that makes sense to me. Thanks for posting that.