Paris’ Pantheon: Burial Place of Many of France’s National Heroes – Photo by Al Bolter
Fear: We Mustn’t Let It Get The Better of Us…
This past Friday the 13th saw some of the most savage attacks in Paris since the end of World War II. It has left the City of Lights in a state of emergency, and the good people of Paris in a state of not knowing what to expect next, if there is a “next” to expect. Even though some may deny it, fear now exists in the wake of the attacks.
Today a good friend dropped by with his little girl for a neighbourly visit. They had come from Toronto’s 111th Santa Claus parade. When asked how the parade was, he mentioned that they couldn’t see too much, as he was concerned about being too close to the crowd. He wanted a quick means of egress should something terrible happen.
It’s a legitimate fear, and it’s one that will become commonplace, as we struggle to come to terms with the brutal loss of more than 130 innocent people going about their lives on a leisurely Friday evening in Paris. If it can happen there, then why not here, is the question rightly being asked?
We mustn’t deny this fear, and wish it away as if it doesn’t exist. Fear is a natural human reaction when bad things happen, and to pretend it’s not there, is to not face reality. But more importantly, when we deny fear, we also lose the potential power that can arise from it. For when fear is harnessed as a power towards positive change, there can be nothing more powerful unleashed on the world.
Little do the attackers realize that their dastardly deeds have awoken a giant within the hearts of civilized people the world over. The civilized world will not cower before such brazen acts of violence, for if we did, that would mean the end of civilization as we know it, and that’s not about to happen any time soon. And it is through our fear, that civilized peoples will ignite the energy necessary to defend the free and independent societies we hold dearly to us. It is through our fear that action will be taken.
Irish statesman Edmund Burke (1729-1797) said that, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
It cannot be accepted that good people will do nothing, but it can be accepted that good people will do something. Good people will adapt to the circumstances that dictate change; good people will show kindness and compassion, when kindness and compassion are called upon. But good people will also show conviction and courage, when conviction and courage are called upon. And fear, being what it is, is the genesis of conviction and courage, for without fear, conviction and courage would be meaningless.
So as we go about our daily lives, it’s incumbent upon freedom-loving people everywhere to stand tall with our Parisian brethren. There’s no shame in admitting to our fear, the shame only comes lest we let our fear get the better of us…
For more, check out The C.A.T. Principle: Change, Action, Trust – Words to Live By, a Global Ebook Awards GOLD Winner for Best Self-Help Non-Fiction Ebook of 2014, available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. See the latest Amazon reviews here. Now revised and expanded, and a Nominee for the Best Self-Help Non-Fiction Ebook of the 2015 Global Ebook Awards.
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A 2014 Global Ebook Awards GOLD Winner for Best Self-Help Non-Fiction Ebook.
2015 Global Ebook Awards Nominee for Best Self-Help Non-Fiction Ebook