Can You Imagine a Life Without Fear?

Walking with Gene Key 42 — from the shadow of Expectation to the gift of Celebration

As I walked my little dog Aya this morning, I found myself contemplating Gene Key 42: Expectation - Detachment - Celebration. I wrote about this in a note this morning. My intuition was nudging me to expand on it here, to follow the flow rather than go with my initial plan. Plans are meant to be broken, they are just an expectation!

Expectation and Fear

“Expectation is the most profound mark of humanity. It is the dream that the future holds a greater promise than the now. Somewhere inside us, we are all waiting for our lives to improve.” (Richard Rudd)

Today’s walk took us up a steep path from the river to the top of the viaduct, and on to what used to be an old railway line and is now a beautiful footpath. We paused at the bottom to wait for a giant horse to be led down. I have never seen such a hairy horse, it even had a little beard hanging beneath its jaw. It struggled down the path, sliding on the gravel, uncertain about the steps. I could see the fear and uncertainty in its eyes. Many people, myself included, are wary of this path, especially when it is wet, fearful of slipping on the loose ground.

When the horse reached the bottom it stopped and took a huge mouthful of grass from the path side, probably in relief. Chewing is often a way to release stress. As it ambled past us, glad to be on level ground, Aya was not too sure about this enormous beast so close to her and backed up behind me.

Watching them both brought me back to my earlier contemplation about fear and where it shows up in our lives. In Gene Key 42, Richard Rudd writes about how the fear of death is what keeps so many people stuck in the shadow of expectation. A fear that can remain entirely subconscious until a near-miss accident or a health diagnosis brings it suddenly into everyday life. I have often pondered why this fear is so great for so many, when in reality death is the only certainty we have. As I mentioned in the earlier post, it has never been a great fear of mine, and it dissipated entirely after my husband’s death.

In this week’s reflection on Gene Key 42, Richard Rudd writes:

“Can you imagine for a moment your body without any fears? To live permanently without fear? We can close our eyes for a moment and conjure up what that might feel like, what that blissfulness feels like. We can touch the ecstatic realms where the mind lets go and thinking comes to an end.” (The 64 Ways, Richard Rudd)

This is what I mulled over as I walked. Is it truly possible to live without fear?

I co-hosted the podcast Live the Impossible Show, so I am a firm believer that anything is possible, and I have no doubt it would be blissful to reach a genuinely fearless state.

But how do we get there?

Fear crops up constantly, in different guises:

Fear of not knowing
Fear of change
Fear of the dark
Fear of falling
Fear of criticism
Fear of being successful

The list is different for each of us, with fear lurking in our shadows, both light and dark.

“Whether your expectation is optimistic or pessimistic, it narrows your field of vision and closes down the limitless potential that exists in each present moment.” (Richard Rudd)

The Gift of Detachment

We transform these shadows by moving into the gift of detachment. Detachment is not about ceasing to feel or care, it is about releasing our attachment to outcomes. We are constantly let down when we grip tightly to how things should unfold. Detachment opens the heart and allows us to see opportunities where before we saw only obstacles.

As we learn to be detached, to release the need to control, our hearts open wider. We move into the flow of life, able to see beauty around us and to live in harmony with Gaea and the universe.

“If you are truly detached, you will feel more intensely than others because you will not have allowed your expectation, positive or negative, to constrict the event you actually experience.” (Richard Rudd)

The Siddhi of Celebration

Once we release the fear of death and step free of the shadow of expectation, we can begin to celebrate life. All its marvels, unfolding moment by moment, for those open enough to receive them. Every moment is a celebration, yet most of the time we take everything for granted, completely unaware of the gift of simply being alive on this beautiful Earth.

“Celebration is the direct manifestation of true awakening, rooted as it is in the utter helplessness of what it means to be alive and dying inside a human body.” (Richard Rudd)

What fears are you ready to let go of?

What will you celebrate today?

These are also the themes threading quietly through my book Daughter of the Solstice, coming very soon.

Quotes are from Gene Key 42: Letting Go of Living and Dying, in The Gene Keys: Embracing Your Higher Purpose by Richard Rudd.