Hello Fear!!!

Good Morning Gentlemen, It’s been a while since I’ve posted something to this blog. However, Let me tell you about CD that I had the opportunity to listen to

I’ve never been a Kirk Franklin fan per-se.. I’ve enjoyed a few songs that he’s made over the years, but a fan… Naaahh…  I did have a opportunity to listen to his latest CD titled Hello Fear released on 03.22.2011…

The CD has a number of good tracks, but, the song “hello fear” is the one that moved me.. You see, all of us at some time have been paralyzed by fear. Some of us have overcome that fear, some of us are still paralyzed by it.

Growing up my biggest insecurity or fear was acceptance. Being multi-racial I’ve always identified myself as a black man. However, to my peers I wasn’t black enough as defined by their very narrow understanding of what black was… The issue persist today among dark skin black folk who feel some sense of racial purity as though they’re the gate keepers for everything black? Clearly they do not understand that the African diaspora covers the globe…. Or that less than 10% of African slaves made it to America…  To my latino peers, much of their identity is based on language and because I’m not fluent in Spanish I sat on the outside there as well..  also odd because I cook Spanish food better than some of the so called “pure bloods” there??

To compensate, I played sports through junior high and high school.. Sports are the universal uniter. Everyone cheers for the high school football team, basketball, & baseball team, etc…  Yet when I finally found my place in the world, my family moved and I had to start all over again. I remember the first day In my new school having a group of five percenter’s approach me about eating a ham and cheese sandwich… Then they proceeded to try to teach me todays mathematics … how do you say uncomfortable

When I finally became comfortable, high school was over…. Nevertheless, that quest for and fear of not being accepted persisted. My inherent nature is to be introverted, thus the fear of stepping out on the ledge to make new friends or meet people paralyzed me..  I do take my time in discerning people’s character. As such, I may come off as not being the most open or friendly person. The dichotomy is that loyalty means everything to me and I’m loyal to those in my circle.

Needless to say , whatever your fear.. whatever that thing is that keeps you paralyzed, immobile or freezes you where you stand.. Take a risk.. do something that you’ve never done before. The rewards always seem to outweigh the risk..

When I got to the point in life when I realized that I really had nothing to lose, I gained more confidence in doing things that were outside of my comfort zone. Having the ability to turn and face my fear was the greatest achievement in my own personal growth..

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson

Get over your fear Gentlemen

God Bless
Editor - DNYC