With the coming release of the popular movie Dune 2 only weeks away, now seems like a good time to ponder one of the lines from the first movie. If you haven’t watched the first DUNE please do, it is visually spectacular and for a block buster the acting is quite good. Without giving away too many spoilers, there is a scene where the hero’s mother, Lady Jessica, is trying to remain calm and focused, while reminding/cleansing herself that “Fear is the Mind Killer”. While we may not be Queens in a life-threatening situation, every part of our busy lives requires that we stay at peace and face each situation with all our mental acuity. Things to be aware of include
WORRY: nothing good ever came of worry as it basically puts you in a holding pattern of Fear. The answers to the possible “Problem” that you are searching for will not appear in the conscious part of the brain as your worry/fear has turned off the creative frontal cortex and you are now operating in fight or flight mode.
Some will argue that worrying did produce a good/correct answer, but this is not entirely true. The solution came to mind only after you had depleted your energy, given up and surrendered. Then the front of your brain is good to go again, and an intelligent solution emerges in your thoughts.
CONTROL: Stoic Philosophers such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius urge us to be mindful of what is in our control (thoughts, actions, and behaviors) and what is not (outcomes, other people). Once we are focused on what WE really need to do while leaving others to get on with their lives, then anxiety/fear naturally melts away. Trying to control others and not recognizing their rights to act in freedom not only sucks the life out of them but it adds unnecessary responsibilities and frustrations to yourself. Just drop it and get on with what you really need to be doing to fulfill your own happiness and possibilities.
RELAXATION: Learn to take the time to let your mind and body relax. This activity will take different forms for different people, however constantly trying to keep up with the unrealistic pace of the 21st century is a sure-fire way to burn yourself out. Imagine the thoughts of a burnt-out brain vs those of one that is relaxed.
It is difficult to be relaxed and fearful at the same time but ultimately you need to make the choice as to where you will be sitting. Your life depends on it!
Watch your mind throughout the day, keep note of how your reality matches your clarity. Watch for yourself how fear clouds your own mind, then choose to sit in possibility and openness instead. Plus enjoy Dune 2 on the big screen at the cinema with some friends.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
― Dune