Fear audiobook

A short but power read on acknowledging and transforming fear with mindfulness. Thich is a gentle soul, one who believes that there is good in each of us. He shows that by working on becoming more present and mindful, we can each live fearlessly and in turn better the world. This book is focused on the power of mindfulness. Many of us are reliving past events or are stuck worrying about the future, and thus miss out of what is happening right here and now. Thich gives useful exercises to help us focus the breath and come back to the present. He offers simple mantras such as “I have arrived”, “I am home” and “Inhale, I know that I am breathing in”, “Exhale, I know that I am breathing out” When we pay attention to our breathing and are centered in the present moment, we can observe and recognize our fear without letting it take over. Thich gives background on why many of us are fearful, something that is present early on in life, because we are dependent on others. He also introduces the notion of no-birth and no death, that there is only continuation. Thich talks about the power of community to lean on and lift one another up. However, we must find peace in ourselves first before we can help others. In order to solve conflicts, we need to listen deeply to others to try to understand their view and then gently communicate with compassion. This book was inspiring and beautifully written. Thich shares wisdom and practical ways to live mindfully, so that we can harness our fear and be free. “Everything we are looking for can be found in the present moment”

In Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, Thich Nhat Hanh simply and succinctly illuminates the Buddhist path beyond fear into an existence of freedom and joy."Nobody can give you fearlessness. Even if the Buddha were sitting right here next to you, he couldn't give it to you. You have to practice and realize it yourself." pg 6This book is more than theory, parables and anecdotal stories. Hanh also includes various meditations to assist in the effort."When the Buddha was very old, just before he died, he said, 'My dear friends, my dear disciples, don't take refuge in anything outside of you. In every one of us there is a very safe island we can go to. ... That is a place where you can take refuge whenever you feel fearful, uncertain or confused.'" pg 71He dissects the various forms fear can take in our lives: from fear of death, grief, anxiety about the future to reconciling with painful emotions from the past.My main takeaway from the book was, to deal with any kind of fear, we need only to approach it with mindfulness and compassion for ourselves and the suffering of others."We don't try to grab on to the pleasant sensation, and we don't try to push it away. We just acknowledge its existence. When a painful feeling comes, we do the same thing. ... A feeling is just a feeling. And you are much more than that feeling." pg 135Hanh reminds readers that we are more than the temporary thoughts and feelings that cause so much havoc on their way through our minds and hearts. Our true nature is something else.My favorite metaphor that Hanh employs to remind readers of this true nature is his comparison of a life to a wave."The wave is always water; it doesn't 'come from' water, and it doesn't go anywhere. It is always water; coming and going are just mental constructions. ... Birth and death, coming and going, are just concepts. When we are in touch with our no-birth, no-death nature, we have no fear." pg 50I appreciated the reminders and found a lot of comfort in these pages. I hope other readers find the same.Recommended for readers who are interested in learning and utilizing Buddhist philosophy and techniques to overcome any fear or other unpleasant emotion that may be in their lives.

This is one of the best books I've read in the self-help/spirituality genre. I'm a big fan of Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart, and this book is going to be another one I revisit over the years. The author offers practical, step by step meditations, taking the guess work and ambiguity out of what can be a daunting process to a beginner, such as myself. The tone of this book is sometimes choppy, but I got the sense that it had been distilled and condensed until only the most important words remained. "Invite your fear into consciousness, and smile through it; every time you smile through your fear, it will lose some of its strength. If you try to run away from your pain, there is no way out. Only by looking deep into the nature of your fear can you find the way out."Reading this book was a comforting experience. I felt compassion and acceptance coming through the author's words. After all, the problem isn't being afraid. The problem is when we don't know how to deal with the fear. This book shows you how.

When you pick up Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, ‘Fear’, you immediately get the sense that the words come from a person who is very gentle and whose aim it is to help people overcome the energy draining force known as Fear. Many people spend a great deal of life’s precious resources dwelling on the past or fretting about the future - often which never materializes - instead of living in the present moment, where our true power lies.Indeed, staying grounded in the moment is the starting point to overcoming the debilitating effects of fear. When we are mindful of the present moment we can deal with “what is” and not get caught up on the roller coaster of negativity that leaves us powerless. From this place of mindfulness we can observe the fear, embrace it, and then allow it to dissolve. This is a process of “working with” rather than “fighting against.” This is a process of acceptance and then embracing our fear rather than trying to bury it or bully it into submission, “Invite your fear into consciousness, and smile through it; every time you smile through your fear, it will lose some of its strength. If you try to run away from your pain, there is no way out. Only by looking deeply into the nature of your fear can you find the way out.”Perhaps this sounds a lot easier to do then it truly is in real life, and while this might indeed the case, Thich Nhat Hanh provides many lessons on mindfulness and numerous exercises, especially involving breathing, to help us along the way. As the author states, “When we practice walking meditation, when we breathe mindfully, we generate a powerful energy of mindfulness, which can recognize and embrace our suffering and fear. After doing that for a time, you will see that the fear goes back down to its former place as a seed, and to understand that the next time that it manifests, you’ll be able to do exactly the same thing. Your chronic fear and anxiety will be genuinely reduced.”In the end, it doesn’t matter what we are fearful of, or how the fear came to exist in the first place, the root of all fear exists in the mind and is reinforced by our beliefs that some external influence is more powerful than our own divine nature. While some degree of fear might be necessary for the survival of our physical being, on a deeper, spiritual level, when we come to realize that true nature extends beyond the mere physical world we see that many, or perhaps all, of our fears are unfounded, “Birth and death, coming and going, are just concepts. When we are in touch with our no-birth, no-death nature, we have no fear.”By giving us the benefit of his compassionate wisdom, Thich Nhat Hanh is empowering people to overcome the limitations that their fears have imposed upon them. In essence, Thich Nhat Hanh is not giving us keys to our prison cell, he is showing us that the door was never locked to begin with.

I'm going to keep this short because my carpal tunnel is enraged. This is only the second book in my life that has made me burst into tears. Yes, I sat on Bart crying like an animal.I think this is due (in part) to that "right book at the right time" scenario. Thich Nhat Hanh explores the origins of fear and how it manifests through our thoughts and actions, but I quickly realized what I equated "fear" with was stress. I'm not inherently afraid of anything in my life (aside from spiders)...but then why stress? Why do I feel stress if not for fear of some consequence, some dialogue in which I tell myself I failed? Maybe I'm afraid of myself, and the ugly, hurtful things I say inside when I don't meet my expectations.To sum up: examine your feelings; treat yourself with kindness; do not dwell in the past; develop a positive perspective; recognize that happiness is attainable right now, in this moment.

Signature Thich Nhat Hanh! So gentle, soothing, and compassionate, as he gets down to the deepest, most vulnerable parts of us that feel fear. The last few chapters are filled with several simple prayers / meditations, but the one mantra I hope I'll always remember is "I have arrived, I am home" - that simple statement just makes me breathe deeply and feel at home right now, right here (not being anxious about the million what-ifs). Highly recommended!If you're interested in spirituality, philosophy, yoga, etc., join my Old Souls Book Club (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...) for other recommendations and thought-provoking conversations!

What a wonderful book! So much information condensed into a mere 164 pages that though I've finished the book I know I will re-read it again, immediately,but at a slower rate to absorb every last bit of wisdom. If you are interested in deepening your meditation practice but are a novice as I am, the last chapter of the book is devoted to meditative exercises that will help you deepen and strengthen your practice and also give you the tools needed to manage anxiety and fear. Highly recommended.

I'm on a mission to read all of Thich Nhat Hanh's books. So far (after reading just a few) they all seem very similar in message and tone. They are like a soothing massage for your brain. After I read even a page of two I feel calmer.

Me gusta mucho como escribe, como enseña el autor. Es práctico, tranquilo. Voy a seguir leyendo sus libros. Voy a aprender. Calma.

A couple of passages in this book specifically helped me release my fear of dying. Thank you so much for lifting this burden from me. Peace be to you.

Look into your fear deeply. Stare at it.Only then it shrinks.Fearlessness is freedom.

Covered a lot of the same ground as "The Art of Living," but it was good to have a refresher and to have some of the points hammered home.