“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela

I have been reading up on several theories based upon the concept that humans may not have true FREE WILL. After all, “free will” is to be human, right? What if this is not really true? What if we truly do not live a life of free will? Evidence is beginning to point at something that many will find counter-intuitive. We may, in fact, not be free. Instead, we may be prisoners of our own minds. You see, the world we see every day is actually an illusion. This explains why people can see the same exact event yet see them differently. This illusion is due to the lenses of mind shifting our viewpoint. Michael Gazzaniga, the father of cognitive neuroscience explains this in his book “Who’s in Charge?” Furthermore, this lens is, in part, shaped by our history.

“All men have limits that learn what they are and learn not to exceed them. I ignore mine.” - Batman

Simply put, as science tells us, we are not free. Instead we are held prisoner to our belief structures and fears, to name a few. A bit more focused, fear is the #1 silent killer on this planet. It steals our free will subconsciously and debilitates us without our approval and with recognition. Your mind evaluates situations based upon three things:

Will it eat me?
Can I eat it?
Can I mate with it?

Fear equates to “Can it eat me?” Think about this; Generalized Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Phobias, Panic attaches, PTSD, Social Anxiety Disorders, to name a few are all based upon, in some form, FEAR. Our brains are literally being high jacked by fear. Why is this ok? Actually, It is not! Fear is an invisible cage surround us that defines us yet it shouldn't? Everyone has fears, this includes me. Check out this long list of fears. Now, some fears are actually OK. For example:

Fear of walking alone in the dark
Fear of wild animals (bears, lions, tigers)
Fear of being outside in a thunderstorm (afraid of getting struck by lightning)

Now, even these very fears can become extreme fears and debilitating. It is important while most often challenging to recognize when fear shifts to an unhealthy level.

Here are some fears in which are not healthy

Fear of standing out (success)
Fear of not being good enough, looking undesirable (Inadequate)
Fear of failure (success comes from failure and more is learned through failing than through success)
Fear of losing control ( Panic, Anxiety)
Fear of a lack of knowledge “not understanding”
Fear of change

These are some of the fears in which will control your life and cage you up. Thankfully you have the key to this cage and right inside your mind. Don’t let Fear control your mind. When you find yourself unable to complete a task, or unable to make something “happen”. Ask yourself… “What do I fear?” Have an open and honest conversation with yourself and see if you can figure out what you fear. If you can’t, don’t let it stop you. Find a Life Coach, Therapist or even a Psychologist who can help you recognize your fears and address them … Once and for all! This is is how you become ... A Better you!