I was recently on Maui during the false missile alert, at the time I was totally oblivious to what was going on around me, my phone was turned off, and no text alerts the only hint of anything going on was the heightened use of phones around me. Perhaps in a situation like this being in a position of not knowing is a good place to be? In a short period of time, it became apparent that something had transpired, I could see the fear on people’s faces, in their eyes as they spoke into their cell phones and I heard the rumblings of a missile launch. My brother sensing my confusion told me not to panic and filled me in on the text alert that had come through on US phone carriers. Did I feel some level of fear at this point…YES…more for family back home who may have heard about the alert. Maybe a sense of shock too, frozen in a brief moment…this can’t be REAL!!! If it’s REAL, WHY are the island sirens not going off? There were too many unanswered questions and things didn’t seem to add up.
Later that day once all had settled down and while sitting in a peaceful setting I had time to reflect on the events of that morning. From the position of oblivion, I was able to be fully present with what was happening around me, having the time to process and decide whether this was REAL or PERCEIVED. Fear comes in many different shades which brings me to these acronyms for FEAR…which one resonates with you? Is there one you would add to the list?
FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real
FEAR – Face Everything and Rise
FEAR – False Ego Appearing Real
There is REAL fear and PERCEIVED fear…can you take time in the moment to examine the level of fear and distinguish between the two? What resources do you have? What would be the best course of action to take? Is this REAL?
