NOTE: The mind-map was updated 9/3/11 after great, thoughtful, challenging comments were made. Continue to give me feedback!
Personally, I believe fear is the opposite of love. This thought has been an overarching concept in this mind-map.
When I design a program, workshop, presentation or advancement* I begin with a mind-map to get a visual of key components that might be in the design.
What are your thoughts, suggestions and ideas? Note, if you click on the photo above, it will get larger for easier viewing.
*Advancement. . . I do not like the word "retreat" as in, "We are going on a retreat to explore fear." Retreat is about going backwards. Advancement is about moving forward, learning and growing.
5 comments:
It is paralyzing...it keeps you in one place; it can also be blinding and certainly keep you from even looking at a breadth of possibilities. It impairs clarity of vision...mlfn
As noted on the mind-map, there are some positive points to fear as it can help in survival.
Fear arises out of lack of faith which is more than lack of trust. It operates as a filter to advancement when it is embellished by lack of understanding or a misunderstanding.
In some environments fear works particularly when options for action are limited or are predesigned.
Immobilizing or enabling. Paralyzing or motivating. Petrifying or conquering.
JMG
As you have already noted on the mind-map and as Jan has mentioned, fear can be an incredible motivator.
Specifically, fear of failure can drive one to heights previously unconquered. When I left my job as an engineer to pursue graduate studies, fear of failure, with respect to my responsibilities to provide for my wife and my children, drove me to continue studying difficult subjects and concepts when I may have wanted to do something less productive; to stay up into the night reading books and journals when sleep would have been easier.
Fear of the judgement that is to come from a just and powerful God, implores me to keep my paths straight and my thoughts pure.
Yes, these same fears could cause someone to become paralyzed into inactivity. We are all fearful of something, the key is how we chose to respond to the fear: run from it or face it head on.
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