I was given an advanced copy of Dr. Lissa Rankin’s The Fear Cure to read and, only if it spoke to me, review. I’ve been a huge fan of Dr. Rankin’s since I read Mind Over Medicine and it completely changed my life. It honestly was one of the main reasons I started my blog! It helped me write a personal prescription for myself and ever since then I’ve been getting healthier and healthier! For the past year and a half I’ve wanted to write a post about my own personal prescription, but always fall short in doing so. It was such a long, in-depth process for me, that it’s so hard to put into words exactly what it did for me. But long story short, it’s completely changed my life. If you haven’t read Mind Over Medicine – you need to do so ASAP.
When I heard that she was working on another book, The Fear Cure, I was exceptionally interested. Knowing how much of an impact her book has made on my life I knew that her next book would be equally, if not even more, amazing.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]”When you stop focusing on your thoughts about the past and the future, focusing instead on what is happening in present time, you’ll realize that pain is inevitable, but most of your unnecessary suffering is caused by your resistance to what is. If you can just accept whatever is happening in the present moment, without making it wrong or trying to change it, you can be with the pain without spiraling into the suffering.” – Dr. Lissa Rankin, The Fear Cure[/su_pullquote]
I’ve read a lot of books on fear, ego, love, universe, ect – books by Gabrielle Bernstein, The Course In Miracles, Louise Hay and the list goes on and on. It’s a concept that I’m very familiar with and embrace 100%. Having a background in this, I was really intrigued to see what Dr. Rankin would have to say about it!
Dr. Rankin’s book spoke to my soul.
I love the fact that she’s a medical doctor and relies on facts and science to help back up her claims. I always love understanding and knowing the ‘why’ behind things – so this is something I appreciated very much.
So, What does this book teach you?
- How to learn what your fears can teach you
- A meditation intended to help you stay focused on the present moment
- How to tell the difference between the frightened voice of your “Small Self” and the brave, wise voice of your “Inner Pilot Light”
- A map to help you know where you are on your journey from fear to freedom, as well as tips to help you in the stage you’re in
- Tools to help you “bench press” your uncertainty muscles
- A powerful practice meant to comfort your “Small Self” so your Inner Pilot Light can take the lead in your life and drive your decisions
- An exercise to move you beyond your victim story into a state of gratitude for the lessons loss can teach you
- Tips to help you gather evidence that it’s not a hostile universe; it’s a purposeful universe conspiring to support you
- A Tibetan practice meant to turbo boost your compassion
- An exercise to help enlighten you through every way you judge other people
- Detailed instructions on how to navigate “The 6 Steps To Cultivating Courage”
- How to illuminate the fear-inducing patterns you may have inherited from your ancestors
- Practical advice on how to shift from pessimism to optimism
- A priceless tool to help you question your fearful thoughts to discern whether they’re “true fears” or “false fears”
- How to stop caring what “everybody” thinks
- Instructions on how to find a courage-cultivating mentor
- Tips for strengthening your intuition and hearing the voice of your Inner Pilot Light more clearly
- Diagnostic tools for making your own Fear Diagnosis
- Lissa’s recommendations for 30 books that will make you less afraid
- How to write your own “Prescription For Courage”
- A 9 step practice to help you offer your problems and desires to the Divine, and how to interpret the spiritual guidance that arises when you do
- 13 tips for shifting beliefs
- 7 steps to creating your soul community
- Lissa’s personal Prescription For Courage (in case it inspires yours)
In her book, Dr. Lissa Rankin talks about the Four Fearful Assumptions that inspire false fears to arise in our minds.
These fear inducing limiting beliefs, which Dr. Rankin calls the “Four Fearful Assumptions,” represent the dominant worldview of our modern western culture and lead us to experience a lot of unnecessary suffering.
Four Fearful Assumptions
Fear #1: Uncertainty is unsafe.
Fear #2: I can’t handle losing what I cherish.
Fear #3: It’s a dangerous world.
Fear #4: I am all alone.
“So what can we do to transform our relationship with false fear? We can make a conscious choice to replace fearful thoughts with thoughts that comfort, heal, and help u feel safe. To use a simple example, if your thought is I’m not good enough, it’s helpful to recognize that this is just a thought – one that limits you – and ask yourself what might be an alternative to this thought, something to empower and free you instead! … for example the turnaround of I’m not good enough might be I am enough.” (The Fear Cure, 2015)
In response to the Four Fearful Assumptions, we can use what Dr. Lissa has called the Four Courage-Cultivating Truths.
Four Courage-Cultivating Truths
Truth #1: Uncertainty is the gateway to possibility
Truth #2: Loss is natural and can lead to growth
Truth #3: It’s a purposeful universe.
Truth #4: We are all One.
To be completely honest, I haven’t finished the book. BUT this isn’t a book where you just pick it up and finish it within one day. The exercises in this book are meant to help you cultivate your own courage, help you identify your fears and to start really embracing your life.
I’m head deep into writing my own personal prescription for courage, and just like writing my own personal prescription for health in Mind Over Medicine, it’s a unique journey. This is a book that anyone can read and the outcome would be specific to his or her own life.
I’m really looking forward to sharing my journey with you through this book – some of the exercises are too amazing NOT to share!
One of the very first exercises in the book is starting to identify what fear can teach you!!
Courage-Cultivating Exercise #2
What Can Fear Teach You?
1. Make a list of false fears that you’re ruminating on right now.
2. Choose the first fear on your list, close your eyes and take a moment to tap into your Inner Pilot Light.
Breathe deeply and notice any areas of griping, especially tightness in the belly or chest. Use the breath to breathe space into these areas and see if they loosen up. Expand your belly. Open your heart. Call in whatever it is you trust, whether it’s God, the angels, the Universe, or a deity you identify with, or call on your own Inner Pilot Light directly.
3. Ask what messages of healing your fear is trying to communicate.
What might this fear have to teach you about your personal and spiritual growth? Where might you have blind spots in need of illuminating? Where are you stuck? How can this fear be a blessing?
4. Make note of whatever messages come through.
Honestly, when you start to identify your fears and lean into them, instead of running away from them, you can truly start to free and heal yourself!
Get Dr. Lissa Rankin’s The Fear Cure Now! It officially releases tomorrow, Feb 24th, 2015 – so don’t wait!! If you do get the book let me know 🙂 I’d love to talk about it with you and trade our experiences!!
I wouldn’t ever recommend something to you if I wasn’t 100000000% LOVING IT!
Wishing You A Pain Free Day!
