As the MinD, As the Action.
Breaking Free from Fear: How to Upgrade Your MinDset and Take Action.
What’s Holding You Back from Taking Action?
Fear, which develops over time, often holds us back from taking action. Fear often creeps into our lives in various forms:
Fear of loss
Fear of unknown
Fear of success
Fear of failure
Fear of your surroundings
Fear of death
The list of fear in our lives is endless and comes is various combinations for each person. But it doesn't have to control us. In this article, we'll explore how to understand and overcome these fears by upgrading our MinDset.
The Root of Fear
So, where does all this fear arise from? As the title of this article suggests: “As the MinD, as the Action.”
In simple terms: We take actions based on the state of our MinD. If our MinD is distressed or anxious, we are more likely to act with hesitation or fear. Conversely, when our MinD is stable, calm and conscious, we will take stable, unbiased actions in alignment with our inherent values. By the MinD, it means the collection of thoughts, beliefs, and internal processes that influence how we perceive and react to the world.
Scientifically, many observations by researchers have noted that within the MinD, it is the amygdala that detects fear, sending signals to the rest of MinD and body to react in unnatural manner to prepare for a fight-or-flight response.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” - Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Overcoming Fear - A Simple Example
To overcome fear, we must upgrade our 'operating system'—our MinDset. The first step is identifying the fear, but it’s not as simple as pressing "download," installing, and updating the OS as we do on our devices.
If we take a step back before we commence the download and look at the process of how the software update has been developed, we can gain insights on how to overcome fear.
Software engineers spend hours, days, weeks, and even years developing updates. They must first identify which updates are necessary and beneficial to the consumer, ensuring consistent usage. The first fear the engineer faces is whether they are developing the right updates. The only way the software engineer can overcome this fear is to take action in a direction that has been critically analysed by themselves and their peers over time.
In this example, the software engineer is looking for new updates to the OS. Could these upgrades be habits in our MinD that, when practiced over time, help us improve and overcome fear?
Once the specific updates (i.e., habits) are identified, the engineers must write a software code so that the update perform consistently and repetitively. This ensures there are no broken links in the software code that could lead to failure. Similarly, we must train our MinD to constantly take action on these habits until they operate smoothly with the rest of the existing system (i.e., the body).
Another fear arises for the software developer: Will the code developed be successful and continue to operate as intended? The developer must put the code to the test through multiple back-testing, trial and error, pushing it to the limit until it breaks. Breaking the code physically, mentally and finding solutions through repetition and reiteration provides a sustainable, unbreakable code that overcomes various bugs over time. Much like a software update requires careful planning and testing, upgrading our MinDset demands consistent reflection and action. Just as engineers test their code repeatedly, we must practice new habits and confront our fears to rewire our thinking.
As seen in this example, fear exists at all steps of the journey. The key is to detach from the fear by identifying it, accepting it, understanding it, applying game theory, and producing unbiased, truthful actions that ensure you can be proud of the actions taken.
Now that we’ve explored how fear manifests in the MinD, let’s look at how we can detach from these fears to move forward.
What fears have you faced in your life that held you back? How did you overcome them?
Detaching from Fear
It is evident that all the fears arising in our daily lives come from previous experiences (modifications, cognitive bias, etc.). For example:
Falling from a bicycle; hence, there is a fear of getting back on the bicycle.
Being rejected on a project presentation we worked on for 2-3 years; hence, we fear repeated rejection on the next presentation.
Finishing last, at an undesirable number or not completing our goals in set amount of time we initially had in MinD; hence, we fear setting new targets and goals.
This fear is formed through our five senses, which are linked to the MinD, creating modifications and biases in our amygdala that stop us from taking action again. Simply known as an outward-looking MinD, or the MinD controlled by our sensory organs to provide comfort.
One effective way to detach from fear is through mindfulness and mindlessness practices through meditation. By focusing on the present moment and accepting our fears without judgment, we can begin to break free from the past experiences that shape them. The only way to face fear is to step into the fear, detach from the cognitive bias that has formed over time by understanding where this fear is rising from. We should aim to detach from the five sensory organs and become inward-looking, closing the door on pleasure and pain, and stepping out of our comfort zones.
“Do one thing every day that scares you” - Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Car Analogy to Assist with Detaching the MinD from the Five Senses.
Imagine you are sitting in your car, and the steering wheel is your MinD. Your five sensory organs are like the following parts of the car:
The headlights are your eyes that help you see through the darkness by projecting light outwards for the person to see inwards.
The grate on the front bonnet being the nose that allows the remainder of the car to breath and ensures that it does not overheat on the inside, servicing all the organs such as the engine or the heart.
The dashboard being the ears that alerts you of nearby hazards. The dashboard listens to all devices in the car internally and provides regular updates in a timely manner to stay on track to ensure the destination is reached whilst minimising the number of bumps.
The horn that speaks or honks when it is only needed. Most of the speech within the car occurs inward-looking and the horn is only used when require.
The aluminum body or the skin layer that protects the person inside the car allows for safe transport, providing protection from all external elements that we face along the journey.
All of these sensory organs in the car are controlled by the steering wheel (MinD), driven by the person. The sensory organs and the MinD follow the direction and destination set out by the person in the car. The person in the car is controlling the steering wheel or the MinD from within, utilising the sensory organs in a detached manner to reach the destination in a safe and steady manner.
Even if the road is bumpy, rain obscures vision, wind sways the car, or external noises disrupt the mind, by detaching from these sensory organs that induce fear and continuously upgrading the operating system of your MinD, the journey becomes much more bearable. Over time the person in the car will be able to detach from the external and internal fears that exist to rewire the MinD to work for them to achieve their deepest desires. The person in the car only uses the sensory organs and the MinD to assist in reaching the destination and is able to step out of the car at any moment and walk away, completely detached.
The MinDvesting Philosophy
In summary, fear is merely a manifestation of our feelings, thoughts that lead us to act in certain ways. “As the MinD, As the Action” - applies not just to fear, but it is applicable to all the energies and levels of consciousness that are present within our MinD.
A shameful MinD, will perform shameful actions.
A guilty MinD, will perform guilty actions.
An apathetic MinD, will perform apathetic actions.
A grievous MinD, will perform grievous actions.
A fearful MinD, will perform fearful actions.
An angry MinD, will perform angry actions.
An egoistic MinD, will perform egoistic actions.
A courageous MinD, will perform courageous actions.
An unbiased MinD, will perform unbiased actions.
A willful MinD, will perform willing actions.
An accepting MinD, will perform accepting actions.
A loving MinD, will perform loving actions.
A joyous MinD, will perform joyous actions.
A peaceful MinD, will perform peaceful actions.
An enlightened MinD, will perform enlightened actions.
A … MinD, will perform … actions.
Now that you understand how to detach from fear and the other levels of consciousness, take one small step today. What three goals have you been longing to achieve in 2025? Write them down and commit to making steady progress.
Remember the limiting factor in all of the above is only the MinD. As the MinD, As the Action.
Appreciate your time and making it this far in the post, keep reading over time. This will be the last post of 2024 and hope to see you all in 2025. If you have enjoyed reading this article and previous post, please subscribe and share to the wider community that it may help another person.