What does that mean to “drop fear”? With more years on this earth under our belt, fear seems a common hindrance to most of the good things most of us say we want, like love, laughter, even curiosity, joy, acceptance, enjoyment, creativity, innovation….There seems so much fear, and that can be dark to carry around, be it in our hearts or brains, hanging around us like a heavy cloud. We show it in our actions, words and deeds whether we are motivated by our fear or our love.

The pandemic was like a dense, dark cloud that hung over us all. We each responded in different ways no doubt. Based on some of the Netflix comedy specials, the comedians were trapped alone for months, and now finally can be in front of live audiences. As humorists, their professional issues were unique because their living depended on sharing relatable situations in front of real people in real time. Each comedian has a different take on the covid lock down and experience, yet because they are returning to their craft, addressing their experience is part of reconnecting with the audience. Uniting around laughter and the power of laughter seems to be an emerging theme. And laughing, true letting go and laughing happens when we are relaxed and can drop fear. Fear like inability laugh at ourselves, or with others, even if only for the length of a comedy special!

Fear can permeate everything. Most of us have empathy for someone afraid for their safety, or health, or children’s safety, or paying their bills, or being drafted. So many big scary real things exist. And the history of the world shows us it is made up of the good things and the calamities, all happening at once and throughout all of our lifetimes. So crap happens. There is no true way to stop it all, even if we do a good job to halt crap within ourselves or our own household, there is still crap “out there”.

Our challenge, in order to age deliciously each step of the way, is to do our best to DROP FEAR. Approach our concerns and life moments with curiosity and trust in ourselves, no matter the diagnosis or forks in the road. History shows us the ups and downs of life are inevitable no matter what century or part of the world lived. We can choose to ride the waves by being our best in the face of whatever, still get to laugh sometimes, to be lighthearted while being present to our micro and macro worlds. The same circumstances may face us, yet when we drop fear, more of oneself may be freed to cope, show up and respond positively.