Some things naturally go together like salt and pepper and bread and butter. But faith and fear, most would argue, are exact opposites, right? No one sees them as correlated—or do they? I hear people talk about how faith-filled they are, myself included, yet I also hear how fearful and worried they are as well. Most would say faith is good and fear is bad. I feel like faith and fear should be mutually exclusive, but are they?

Fear is inverted faith; it’s faith in something bad, unpleasant, evil, wrong, unhappy, unhealthy, ugly, harmful, etc. Think about this definition of faith and see how easily fear can be substituted: (n) belief that is not based on proof. Are you willing to look at fear differently now? Can you see it as inverted faith and that you and I are sabotaging ourselves with this “faith” in something detrimental as opposed to something beneficial, favorable, helpful, and positive?

Now that we can see fear as faith’s nefarious counterpart, we can consciously and intentionally diffuse it. As simple as it is to allow our minds to embrace the negative and all that could go wrong, wouldn’t it also be possible to invert fear and embrace all that could go right? I know I am outstanding at allowing my mind to imagine the negative, therefore wouldn’t my mind be equally good at imagining the positive? It’s just thought and imagination—and we are the drivers of both. Next time fear is holding you back, take a moment to remember that you can invert fear—it’s your choice.

With Gratitude,

Beth