Fear - don't buy into it!

As you can see, I have not posted here for quite some time. I think that after I wrote Prone To Panic, I wanted to spend some time living a life that wasn't dominated by Social Phobia. That is not to say that it went away, I just decided to shift my focus onto other areas. So I've been carving out a new life for myself, taking a new direction with my painting and generally trying to live in a way that makes me happy. But now more than ever, I realise how easy it is to get sucked in by the media and the spin doctors who tell you how worried you should be about the future and what you should be doing about it. Since I wrote my book, the numbers of people experiencing anxiety disorders have increased and it is little wonder when our society breeds fear. There always seems to be a new 'challenge' that we as individuals will be powerless to overcome, but our governments might have a hope of facing. Hark back to the old Y2K debacle. They had us convinced that life as we knew it was going to come to a crashing halt. Nothing happened. What with climate change, terrorism, and now the great big recession - it seems we are constantly in a state of fear.

However, there are two sides to this coin. The very same people who tell me how apprehensive I should be about my unpredictable future, offer protection against these terrifying scenarios. My TV is hell-bent on trying to sell me pensions, life insurance, mortgage protection, health insurance, the highest safety rated car on the market. But the fact is, no matter how much you try to protect yourself, this is life - it hurts! And the sooner we come to grips with that, the less fearful we will be to live it. There is a climate of fear permeating our society, frightening the bejaysus out of us into buying the next new thing that will supposedly protect us from some unknown threat. But no amount of securities or preventions will protect us from the fact that shit happens! And what about the upside to catastrophes? I'm particularly pleased with the recession so far because oil prices have come down, house prices have come down, there's increased competition in the retail sector and the European Central Bank has cut interest rates.

As if selling you peace of mind isn't enough, silver-tongued marketeers go so far as to tell me that I should "expect more" and "don't settle for less". In fact, they're telling me that the life I have isn't good enough and that I'm entitled to want the best, because I'm worth it! Damn it!! But is the best really a plasma tv, a Gucci handbag or a BMW? Is that all we're worth? A piece of dead animal and a heap of junk? No my friends, we are worth far more than that. We are worth the time it takes to talk with a loved one, listen to an uplifting piece of music, browse around a library, walk by the ocean, write a journal, take some photos, dig the garden, paint a room, make a lasagna......... all of the ordinary things that when appreciated can make life so special. You don't need a lot of money or stuff to be content in life and I'm tired of the government and the whole capitalist regime scaring us into doing things we don't want to do and buying things we don't want to buy. Fear is a natural, healthy emotion, but it is not something that should be manipulated for the benefit of others.

It is clear that fear has currency in our society and the conspiracy theorists would say this is a vital component to keep us under control. Whatever the reason, my message is that while there may be causes for concern in life, the best thing you can do is keep perspective. "What if" must be the two most soul-destroying words in our vocabulary, countless possibilities that keep us paralysed and unable to live our lives. Anxiety is a global issue and while it is difficult to learn how to be carefree in a world that constantly keeps us in a state of panic and worry, there are roads less travelled that can offer a way out of this vicious circle. Go explore!