Saturday, August 31, 2013

Dealing with Fear Skillfully

Jian Ghomeshi, in wrapping up the interview, asks 60 year-old actor Mandy Patinkin: "Where do you feel like you are on your journey?"

Mandy Patinkin: "I thrillingly haven't a clue. I haven't a clue what's going to happen a second from now, a day, a week, a month, a year. And I guess, that, I finally learned, is one of life's great gifts - that I haven't a clue what's going to happen next, and I can't wait to find out."

Jian Ghomeshi: "And you're not scared of that?"

Mandy Patinkin: "I'm not scared at all. I've been scared. Fear ran my life. And the greatest lesson I've learned in these 5 or 6 years, is to stop thinking that I could run away from fear of any nature. And I've been learning and practicing to invite any and every kind of fear to sit right on my shoulder, give it a front seat in the studio, in the concert, at home, in bed, with family, friends, children ... - put all my fears in the front row seat, let it make me shake and sweat and be terrorized. I will eventually get bored with it and proceed. 
And when have you seen a person of any age, whether 5, 50, 60 or a hundred, who's been frightened that you hate? You know if they're sweating and shaking, your heart will go out a little bit. And if they hate me and get bored and want to walk away - let them walk away.
I can't run away from it. And so I'm learning and practicing to let it be there. And it will be part of my process, work, journey for the rest of my life. But it consumed me so up until this point and I'm no longer trying to escape it. I welcome it into my life every second. I encourage it."

Above from the last couple of minutes of Jian Ghomeshi's CBC interview: http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/03/06/mandy-patinkin-will-inspire-you/

See also: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/04/fear-avoidance-ineffective-existential.html


Base Jumpers by Dimitrios Kontizas

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