The War on Fear

by Robert Lee Camp, September 24, 2001

So, now our country is scared. It didn't take much when you think about it. 20 or so people willing to give up their lives, a well-planned and executed plan, and good timing. Now, our great country seems on the run. The major and minor airports in our country are like ghost towns. Most of us are afraid to fly anywhere. Most of us are spending less too, if our economic indications are accurate. The overall picture is of a country that has withdrawn and is slowing regaining its confidence.

This tragic event of September 11^th is one that shook us all up. I believe that nearly all of us were affected in one way or another. And this is such an important lesson for all of us. Each of our individual reactions tells us a lot about how we live, or refuse to live. Fear is strong right now, or maybe it has just become more apparent. Either way, we are behaving, as a country, as though we are at the mercy of the winds of fate. Everyone is stepping forward with his or her opinion about what happened. The conspiracy theorists and New Age nut-cakes are having a field day, on account of how scared everyone is. Everyone, it seems, is grasping to put a label on this thing so they can feel better.

People are buying guns, traveling by car instead of airplanes, stocking up on everything imaginable, pulling their money out of stocks and doing all sorts of things that people who are frightened do. Okay, you guys, this is really happening. Yes, we found out that we are not so mighty, powerful and invulnerable. We found out that terror can strike anyone. It's a lot like a statement made many times in movies, especially movies about the mafia "Anyone can be killed." Yes, you and I and the rest of us live in a world where anyone can be killed at any time. It has always been this way and will always be that way. But is this a truth that should have us living our lives as though we must protect ourselves constantly and cower in trepidation? Absolutely not.

This is such a great wake-up call for everyone in our country. From my point of view, I see all of us getting a chance to really live our lives, perhaps for the first time in a long time. It takes a lot to shake us out of our complacent, 'I am going to live forever' way of life. We spend most of our time medicating ourselves and shielding ourselves from the uncertainty that life really entails. And those of us who are really living were already living life on the edge before this thing happened. Now, the rest of us have an opportunity to do so too.

Have you noticed since this tragic event how you feel more alive? I know I have. I am looking at everything different now. I know that each day counts for me now and I want each day to be as good as it can be. I have known this sort of consciousness before but like most of us I fell into a day-to-day sameness to my life, a sort of drugged plodding along that seemed to be unimportant. I feel revived. Thank you, Bin Laden!

Life has always been a risky affair. Not to mention, it ends in death for all of us. But anyone who is really awake to life knows that nothing we possess is truly ours. Anything we have right now can be taken away by the powers that be, powers that are so much greater than our individual will that it is ridiculous. So, this is really what is real in life, that compared to the will of God, we are merely pawns on the stage of life. This is what is meant by the expression the 'fear of God'. It is very healthy to have the fear of God, especially if that means staying awake and realizing that each day on this beautiful planet of ours is precious.

And lets talk for a moment about fear. Did you know that it is entirely possible to be completely without the kinds of fear that most people have experienced as the result of this tragic event? I have spoken to a lot of people about this for the past two weeks. Most of us are pretty afraid. But there is another group of us who are aware of the dangers present but who have absolute faith that God is in charge of it all. I personally have always believed that God is good and that nothing happens upon this Earth without His expressed wish. I know this to the very root of my soul. So, am I afraid? Well, I have my day to day concerns about a host of things. But I have no fear about dying in some war or cataclysmic event. I know that God is completely in control of when and where I die. I know that there is nothing I can do personally to effect a change in that and that His will is a good will. I honestly do not know where I obtained this knowing, probably from all the years that He has answered my prayers. And, I have learned how to live by harnessing the power of my Soul, also known as the subconscious mind. I see the law of karma (cause and effect) operating in my life every day. I know that when something happens to me it is because, in most cases, of things I have done. And the older I get the less and less things happen that seem to have no relevance to my thoughts, words or deeds. As a matter of fact I cannot remember the last time something happened to me that I did not create on some level. When I was young I seemed to be the victim of life but now I see that everything that happens in my life is connected to my thoughts. Seeing this connection has also given me a sense of confidence in life, the confidence that nothing is going to happen to me that I have not had a hand in creating. I know myself well enough now to know that I am not creating myself dying in the hands of a terrorist. I am just not attracting or creating that. To be honest, there is a warrior part within me and I do have the occasional fantasy of being a soldier in a war. But those thoughts are not impactful, not compared to the thoughts that are the foundation of my life. And what are these thoughts that are the mainstay of my current existence?

That I am extremely blessed in many ways. My life is about as magical as it can get.
That God loves me personally and is constantly watching over me.
That I would do God's will in a heartbeat, even if it meant giving up my own life, and not regret it.
That everything happens by God's will and that His will is a loving will. Though I may not understand why things happen initially, I ultimately find out the love that was behind everything I can perceive in the world.
That my life will end when it is over. That I will know when it is over. I will probably wish for my own death when the time comes.
That each day on this beautiful mother called Earth is a day to be treasured. I treasure this day as I do every day.
That anger is a huge waste of my own precious God-given energy. It is also a betrayal of the power that God has given me to create my life. I will not give that energy away to anyone or any country.

I remember about ten years ago, our country was in a minor recession. I was traveling at the time, doing workshops and readings wherever I went. When I would arrive at a bookstore to teach or do readings, the owners would tell me "You know with this recession, no one is going to show up for your class." I didn't argue with them about it. But every time, my classes were full. And people were paying for readings. I was very successful, though the store owners were not. I learned then that a financial recession is inside of us, not outside. We take it wherever we go, or we take happiness and prosperity everywhere we go. This same principle applies to all areas and situations in life. No matter what our country does, you can be happy and prosperous. Think about it.

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