Total Pageviews

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Art of Living - Mastering Fear

Many authors recognize the paralysis induced by fear. In Dune, Frank Herbert's hero said, "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Wilferd Peterson's 1961 masterpiece "The Art of Living" expresses his and others' thoughts on a variety of topics.

I plan to share some quotes from this work, a book that had a lot of meaning to Coach Wooden. One of the early chapters discusses fear. 

Players succumb to their fears against pressure defense, teams with 'reputations', and in situations where they abandon fundamentals and make poor decisions. We have to immunize them against fear through practice adversity. 

"Fear is a wild horse that needs a tight rein, for it is both friend and foe, both good and evil, and to live effectively a man must learn to master it..."

"By using the fear of insecurity, defeat and failure as a lash and spur to high achievement." 

"By accepting the fact that old age and death are natural and inevitable, that to fear them is futile, and that they can best be faced with a calm and quiet mind by ignoring them and gallantly living a day at a time."

"By facing fear boldly and practicing the precept of Emerson: "Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain." 

"By beholding the power of faith to work miracles, as expressed in these inspiring words: "Fear knocked at the door. Faith opened it. And lo, there was no one there!"