The Release of Fear: A Pathway to God and Greater Awareness PART ONE

Let’s be honest—fear has been freeloading off humanity for way too long. Fear’s that person who doesn’t just show up unannounced but practically camps out on your couch, ordering takeout on your dime and leaving crumbs everywhere. It tells us it’s doing us a favor by keeping us safe, but what it’s really doing is keeping us small, anxious, and unable to fully enjoy life. The worst part? We let it.
When I look back at my life and all the moments fear tried to keep me from stepping forward, I see how powerful it was in blocking me from real connection—with myself, with others, and with God. Fear wants to pull us away from the light, hide us from joy, and keep us in a loop of “what ifs” that never actually come true. And here’s the kicker: fear doesn’t even exist outside of our own heads! It’s a thought, an idea, a flimsy illusion. And yet, we let it run the show.
But there’s good news: once we see fear for the illusion it is, it starts losing its grip. Releasing fear isn’t just a nice concept; it’s the way to experience a life brimming with peace, joy, and a sense of the divine. Let’s jump into why fear is holding us back from God and higher awareness, and how shedding it opens up a life that’s more loving, joyful, and free.

1. Understanding Fear as an Illusion
​Let’s get one thing straight: fear is about as real as a soap opera plot twist. It puts on a good show, sure, but if you get up close, you’ll see it’s all smoke and mirrors. Fear loves to play the lead role in your life drama, whispering from the wings, “Psst, this could go horribly wrong.” And we, the loyal audience, keep clapping.
I learned early on that fear isn’t some external force—it’s a creation of the mind. It’s that part of us that wants to stay safe at all costs, the part that’s convinced the world is a big, scary place where things go wrong the moment you get comfortable. But here’s the kicker: the vast majority of things we fear don’t actually happen! Fear is that voice in our head that keeps us on high alert for threats that aren’t even real. It’s like walking around with an umbrella every day because it might rain… next year.
The Ego’s Role in Fear
Now, if fear is the illusion, then the ego is the mastermind pulling the strings. The ego loves fear. Fear keeps you focused on yourself—your worries, your insecurities, your endless need to control things. The ego has a knack for exaggerating everything, convincing you that tiny setbacks are major catastrophes and that if you’re not constantly vigilant, something’s bound to go wrong.
Here’s an example: let’s say you’re about to give a speech. The ego jumps in with, “What if you forget your lines? What if they laugh at you? What if you trip and fall flat on your face?” By the time you actually get on stage, you’re a bundle of nerves, convinced that disaster is only one misstep away. But here’s the truth: even if you did trip, or forget a line, the world would keep turning. You’d laugh it off, the audience would probably root for you even more, and the sun would still rise the next morning.
Once I started recognizing that the ego was the source of my fears, it became easier to ignore them. I’d catch myself thinking, “Oh, there’s the ego again, trying to make me think a missed bus is a tragedy.” When you see fear as the ego’s way of keeping you small, it starts to lose its power.
Fear and the Spiritual Journey
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that fear is the single biggest obstacle to spiritual growth. It’s the wall that keeps us from experiencing God. Imagine you’re on a path to divine connection, but every few steps, you run into a roadblock labeled “Fear of Failure” or “Fear of Judgment.” You can’t get very far if you keep letting those roadblocks stop you.
The spiritual journey requires us to let go of our fear-based thinking and trust in something greater. When we’re willing to look beyond our fears, we start to see the world through a new lens—one that’s filled with possibilities instead of limitations, love instead of fear. And that’s where the magic happens. When fear loses its hold, God’s presence becomes a lot clearer. And let me tell you, that’s a sight worth seeing.

2. Fear vs. Love: Two Opposing ForcesNow let’s talk about the main event: fear and love, the ultimate rivals. They’re like two boxers in the ring, one throwing punches and the other standing calmly, waiting to deliver a knockout. Fear is that voice in your head that says, “Don’t try, don’t risk, don’t love—you’ll only get hurt.” Love, on the other hand, is the quiet, steady voice that says, “It’s okay. You’re safe. Keep going.”
I’ve noticed that you can’t have both in the same space. You can’t fill a cup with love if it’s already brimming with fear. Love is expansive, peaceful, and patient. Fear is constricting, anxious, and impatient. They’re like oil and water; they don’t mix. If you want to experience God’s love, you’ve got to pour out the fear first.
Shifting from Fear to Love
There was a time in my life when fear was my default setting. Anytime I faced a new situation, fear would pop up, ready to steer the wheel. But I started to ask myself a simple question whenever I felt fear taking over: “What would love do here?” It might sound cheesy, but let me tell you, this question changed everything.
Love would say, “Trust. Open up. Forgive.” Fear would say, “Stay guarded. Keep your distance. Hold a grudge.” Every time I chose love, my life got a little bit brighter. I felt more connected to others, more at peace with myself, and closer to something divine. When I chose fear, I felt isolated, anxious, and stuck in my own head.
Here’s a fun example. I remember once being afraid to strike up a conversation with someone I admired. Fear told me, “What if they don’t like you? What if you say something awkward?” But love chimed in with, “Just be yourself. Trust that whatever happens is meant to happen.” I took a deep breath, let go of my fear, and started chatting. Not only did we hit it off, but that conversation led to one of the most meaningful friendships in my life. If I’d let fear win, I’d have missed out on that connection.
The Role of Forgiveness in Releasing Fear
If you want a fast track to releasing fear, try forgiveness. Holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick. Fear loves grudges because they keep you stuck in the past, replaying old hurts and anxieties. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is the ultimate act of love. It says, “I choose peace over pain. I choose love over fear.”
Forgiving doesn’t mean you’re condoning someone else’s actions; it means you’re freeing yourself from the weight of those actions. Once you release the burden of resentment, fear loses one of its strongest allies. You’re no longer afraid of being hurt in the same way, because you’ve let go of the story that hurt you in the first place.

3. The Fear of Letting Go: Why We Cling to ControlYou’d think that once you see fear for the illusion it is, letting go of it would be easy, right? But no—fear has a sneaky accomplice: control. The desire for control is what keeps us clinging to fear, because deep down, we think that if we can just control everything, nothing bad will happen.
Well, life has a way of showing us that control is a bit of a joke. We plan, we prepare, we do everything “right,” and things still go wrong. And yet, we keep trying to hold on to control as if it’s a security blanket. It’s like trying to stop a river by standing in its path; the harder you try, the more it pushes against you.
The Illusion of Control
Control is comforting—it makes us feel like we have some say in how things turn out. But in reality, control is just another illusion. We can’t control other people, we can’t control the weather, and we certainly can’t control life’s curveballs. All we can control is our response to what happens, and that’s where real freedom lies.
I used to be a control freak. I wanted everything to go according to plan, and if it didn’t, I’d feel anxious, frustrated, and defeated. But life kept teaching me (often through spectacular failures) that control was an illusion. The more I tried to control, the more things went off the rails. When I finally started to let go, I discovered something amazing: life has a flow to it, and when you stop fighting it, it takes you exactly where you need to be.
Surrender as a Spiritual Practice
Surrender isn’t giving up; it’s letting go of the need to control outcomes. It’s saying, “I trust that whatever happens, I’ll be okay.” When you surrender, you’re not abandoning your dreams or goals—you’re simply releasing the attachment to how they should happen. You’re allowing God, the universe, or whatever you believe in to take the lead.
Once I started practicing surrender, life became a lot more enjoyable. I wasn’t constantly stressed about things going “wrong,” because I trusted that there was a bigger picture I couldn’t see. And funny enough, things started going right more often! It’s like the universe was just waiting for me to step out of the way so it could work its magic.