what are you afraid of?
Dear Beholder,
Music of Choice: Send Your Loving by Ama Louise & Tayc (SpedUp)
Date: 02/11/2025
I have a fear of cruise ships. Seriously, not boats, cruise ships. If I see one, it takes all of my body strength to not be sick or pass out. I don’t know where it came from, I just know that one day I couldn’t even be in the presence of one because I started to have a panic attack.
It got me thinking; is this a real thing? Turns out, I’m not alone. It’s called naviphobia and its defined as the fear of large ships. Before I had a name for it, I knew that I wasn’t afraid of the ocean – like so many would assume. I love being in the water, always have. It’s just something about cruise ships that is so unsettling to me. For years, my family has been trying to convince me to go on a cruise for a vacation and I’m totally down, I just cannot see the ship, or else I fear I might ruin everyone’s vacation.
I know some people have fears of spiders, snakes, and a lot more, but I have to say, my interest was piqued. Now I am not a psychologist, but I started to do some research. Professionals define fear as a protective, primal emotion, that evokes a biochemical and emotional response. An example: me dry heaving at the sight of a cruise ship (or ants). Fear alerts us to the presence of a potential danger, and this danger can be physical or psychological. Fear is complex. Some fears can result from trauma, or other experiences, like a loss of control.
It's believed that humans evolved to avoid top predators to create a survival advantage. Experiencing fear and the anxiety that comes with it, may not be pleasant but both are important emotions that have driven humans to this point. In short, fear is a part of life.
Something clicked for me today. We may not know where fears come from, but I can tell you one thing; don’t let fear stop you from going for what it is that you want. A lot of people are scared about the current state of the world, and validly so. People are dying, people are starving, we are actively watching the world go back in history. Unfortunately, the world will keep turning, and life will go one – do what you can and if you want to do more, now is your time.
Here’s the Universal Karma treatment:
Face it. Head on. Don’t think about it, just do it. Sometimes fear can keep us from what we are really supposed to be doing. Your brain wants to protect you from the unknown, and be thankful your body is fighting for you. However, there comes a time when you have to make the executive decision to make drastic changes in your life, if that’s what you decide to do. Call it an extreme form of exposure therapy if you will.
I faced a fear today. Did you?
Best wishes & all the love,
Universal Karma
