The path to Tranquility (spring)
9. No need to fear losing
In life, we seem to always be afraid of losing. Whether it is work, health, wealth, or family and friendship, as long as we think about the possibility of losing these important things, our hearts will inevitably be filled with anxiety, sadness and despair. However, this fear of loss cannot change reality, but will instead make us fall into unnecessary pain and distress.
No matter what we are afraid of, this fear will eventually close our hearts and make us miss the opportunity to deeply connect with life. Because of fear, we often dare not try new things, are firmly bound by habits, wandering between half asleep and half awake, and thus unable to experience the richness and changes of life. This fear causes us to constantly conflict with the outside world, and eventually lose control of our own lives, and even face more unknown risks.
For example, people who worry about losing their jobs tend to be physically and mentally exhausted due to excessive overtime work, neglecting their family and health, thus increasing their risk of unemployment; people who fear losing their health tend to ignore other pleasures in life due to frequent physical examinations and treatments, and eventually suffer physical and mental damage due to anxiety; and people who fear losing their wealth may be overly frugal and miss the opportunity to share good times with friends and family. These real-life examples tell us that fear of loss not only cannot really protect us, but may become a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing us to lose more of what is truly precious.
Any fear will deprive us of the ability to enjoy life. Life is so short, we should learn to celebrate and be grateful for every moment of life. If we fall into the cage of fear just because we are afraid of losing, then we have lost the most precious freedom, and this suffocation is more unbearable than death. Therefore, only with a grateful heart can we know ourselves more truly and open up a vast world of our own.
When we realize that the only thing that truly belongs to us is an awakened and growing mind, we can unlock the shackles deep within. Even if we lose something external, we can still draw valuable experience from it, promote wisdom and growth, and gain more capital in life. Learning to accept loss means having the courage to face any challenge in life, making us more determined, confident, and independent.
The essence of consciousness is self-awareness and trust - we learn to listen to our inner voice and use this consciousness to understand the environment around us and the emotions of others. This is very different from blind caution: caution often comes from the fear of making mistakes, which limits our pace of exploring the unknown world; while consciousness means that we use reason to guide emotions, think clearly, and foresee future dangers and opportunities in advance. Therefore, what we need most is to continuously improve our level of consciousness, so that everything else can become a help in pursuing this goal.
An effective way to increase awareness is to live in the present and focus on growth. We can try to record the moments that make us feel scared at the end of each day and ask ourselves: "How likely is this to happen? How should I deal with it?" This kind of self-reflection helps us face the uncertainty in life rationally. At the same time, sharing inner worries with trusted friends can often inspire new solutions and further broaden our horizons.
The pain of loss is often more intense than the joy of gain, because loss is often associated with death. Therefore, we are not only afraid of loss, but also afraid of the pain of loss, which is an amplification of fear. However, the increase of consciousness can help us transcend this instinctive reaction and focus on those things that are truly worth cherishing and pursuing.
As our awareness grows, we begin to wisely distinguish between our gains and losses. When fear decreases, our knowledge and joy will continue to grow; on the contrary, if we stop moving forward because of fear, we will miss the most precious time in our lives. For example, if we never dare to start a business because of fear of failure, we will lose the possibility of realizing our dreams; but if we are willing to take risks and challenge difficulties, even in the face of failure, we can gain valuable experience and lessons.
In addition to raising awareness, cultivating a positive mindset can also help us overcome fear. Taking a few minutes every day to write down three small things we are grateful for—whether it's warm sunshine, fresh air, or a friend's sincere smile—these simple acts can help us shift our focus from what we have lost to what we have. By focusing on what we can control and celebrating every small progress, we will gradually build resilience and confidence. At the same time, surrounding ourselves with optimistic and enterprising people and encouraging each other can create an environment full of positive energy.
In fact, we don't need to be afraid of losing, because everything in the outside world never really belongs to us. Whether it is a house, a lover, or life itself, we can only use or keep it temporarily. Compared with the vastness of the universe and the depth of wisdom, these are not eternal. When we learn to let go of attachment and focus on the growth of consciousness, we will truly gain freedom and happiness. Through the improvement of consciousness and the cultivation of a positive attitude, we can eventually transcend fear and embrace the infinite beauty and possibilities in life.
