In a “Developing Intuition” class, I had the group close their eyes and imagine that it was a warm summer day and that they were sitting on a sandy beach with the water gently lapping on the shore.
First, as they relaxed on the beach, a bright red ball bounced along the sand. It came into focus, bounced in front of them and then bounced away. Second, they imagined that a bright white, fluffy cloud appeared. Then it slowly dissipated until it was gone. Third, as they relaxed enjoying the day, a starfish made its way out of the water and onto the sand. It stayed for a few moments basking in the sun, then made its way back into the water, disappearing from view.
After the exercise, each person shared their experience. Most found it relaxing, but one dear woman did not. She said that she was afraid that the starfish was going to bite her. She was fearful until the starfish disappeared back into the water.
She was not on a beach. There was no starfish. Her fear was as much a product of her imagination as the starfish was..
To have a baseline of peace in our hearts and in our daily life, we must examine the thoughts behind our fears. We need to understand whether our fears are based on our own life experience or on our imagination.
Do you have a starfish in your life? How can you change your narrative, so that you can change your fear?