Fear

Fear narrows the little entrance of our heart.

It shrinks up our capacity to love.

It freezes up our power to give ourselves.

~ Thomas Merton

Fear is the show stopper! Think about it, what keeps us from being all we can be? We're afraid! We fear failing, not being liked or loved, not being enough or being too much. It paralyzes us from doing what God is calling us to do. One of the worst things about fear is it's contagious! We are able to spread fear faster than hope! That my friends, is flat out sad!

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger.
Anger leads to hate.
Hate leads to suffering.
Yoda

At times, I feel fear is the main tool of satan. I know he has more, but fear works so well with us. I want to share a story I read the other day from Sabbath Moment's.

There is a well-known experiment involving a group of monkeys, a ladder and bananas suspended from the ceiling. When the first monkey touched the ladder, the researchers hosed all the monkeys with cold water. (Let it be known right off the bat, I hate these experiments!) Soaked and confused, the monkeys tried to reach the bananas again, but whenever any one of them touched the ladder, all were punished. Soon enough, the monkeys learned the lesson: the ladder is taboo. The researcher then exchanged one of the experienced monkeys for a new one. As soon as he entered the room, the new monkey started towards the ladder. Before he could touch it, the other monkeys pulled him away. After enough thwarted attempts, the monkey abandoned his efforts.

The researchers then exchanged another monkey. After time, not one of the original monkeys remained. Yet the lesson endured: No monkey ever climbed the ladder. (Incidentally, if any of the monkeys had tried the ladder, they would have succeeded. Researchers did away with the water hose early on in the experiment.)

WOW! There are many things we don't try.

There are many ladders we don't climb. For any number of reasons.

Or we try for a while; and then we quit.

Or, we have been told, Don't try. You don't have what it takes.

That may put the kibosh on any enthusiasm in a world of never enough - be it beauty or faith or courage or success or passion. 

What have you been told not to try? What puts a kibosh on your enthusiasm? Does it all go back to fear? How do you feel about that?