I came across a book last week called Why is God Laughing?

The foreword states it’s because He gets the joke.

Have you ever really thought about what you’re afraid of and why? One of the insights the lead character gains in the book is that getting used to fear isn’t the same as overcoming it. And isn’t that what we usually do? We get accustomed to the fear, to the adrenaline pumping.

Over the years of stage acting, I have got to the point where I don’t have any nerves or butterflies before going on stage. It’s still a little different for screen but that’s an issue that I am dealing with and clearing. The point about the stage acting is I know numerous actors who are still nervous before a performance, after several years of being in front of audiences. They are accustomed to the fear, of course, so it doesn’t prevent them from giving a thoroughly amazing performance, but it is still there. They’ve not let it go.

Fear, like many of our emotions and actions, becomes a habit. We barely know it’s there. So, you may say, isn’t that fine? Many people use fear to psyche themselves up or to feel alive. True. But, do you not think that using fear to motivate oneself is perhaps a little bit of a weird way of doing things? That’s like firing ourselves with a cattle prod every time we want to feel alive.

The other problem with holding on to fear, as illustrated in the book, is that it, in turn, holds on to you. Fear can just as easily prevent you from doing something spontaneous or something momentous.

And we often cite that having a good dose of fear is useful. It keeps us alive. A sort of survival mechanism.

This isn’t as true as we think. It’s our own instincts and reflexes that keep us alive in dangerous situations. Fear can very well be paralytic in those same situations. Being fearless doesn’t make you less likely to live out a long and bountiful life. Just the opposite really. Lacking fear will help you face those situations and obstacles that you wouldn’t normally.

The next question you may ask is what this has to do with transformational massage.

The truth is the more fearless you are, the more open and able you are to transform. Transformational bodywork helps remove blocks in your physically and energetic system, and the release process can be scary and dramatic.

Interestingly, it is the very therapy that helps you be brave enough to deal with your other issues. The more treatments one has, the more able one is to face and release whatever blocks have manifested in one’s body.

Of course, everybody is different. Some people are far more willing and allowing than others. It took me just over two years since my first treatment to get to a space where I could release a lot of old hurts that were holding me back. Other people get there in a matter of months. The key thing is to be willing to face your fears so you can dissolve them.

Ask yourself what you’re afraid of? Get personal. There may be many fears that you’ve shoved away to never look at again. I dare you to look at them and give them a run for their money.