But today as I was out walking through the canyon, I stumbled upon this sticker on the back of a local's jeep which sparked some deep and powerful thought upon which I meditated as I walked through the lovely afternoon's rain, and I think I have found the next step beyond even the powerful words to Fear Not!
Fear This!
I once read a book called, Feel the Fear, and Do it Anyway!" which makes more sense to me than trying to make the fear go away. For me, trying to tell myself not to feel afraid is like trying to convince myself that I'm not hungry when my stomach is clearly growling. Something is happening that prompts the anxiety and fear, so the fear itself is real. I also believe that even if God or some kind of comforting presence is with me, the fear is still real, and still falls within my realm of responsibility to do something about.
So the next time I find myself feeling anxious or feeling afraid I'm going to just turn around and stand up straight in the middle of my fear and tell those negative forces that are inviting me to feel afraid, "Oh, yeah? Well, Fear This!" Then do something, anything, that contradicts whatever it is that I'm feeling afraid of in the first place.