Oprah Praises Gavin De Becker's Book, The Gift of Fear
The Gift of Fear: Listen to yourself.
The Gift of Fear encourages woman to listen to their instincts, regardless of what might happen. If a little voice in your head calls attention to the fact that the guy at the party won't let you get your own drink and is cautious about which one he hands you and which one he keeps for himself, listen to that voice. As women, we are often caught up in the mindset that we are being irrational and we should just relax. In reality, if we follow this advice in dangerous situations, we are only hurting ourselves. Listen to your inner voice when you hear it...it may be the result of various stimuli around you that you aren't consciously noticing at the time.
The Gift of Fear: Don't worry about appearances.
If something doesn't seem right, err on the side of caution. Don't be afraid to refuse help from a stranger who makes you wary, just because you worry about seeming harsh or cold, or how it will look to bystanders. Don't worry about appearances; worry about your safety. Ultimately, you may feel badly if you brush off the advances of a man on the street offering a hand. However, I'd rather offend him than risk putting myself at risk.
The Gift of Fear: Err on the side of caution.
If something seems dangerous to you, trust your instincts. It isn't enough to listen to your inner voice; you have to act on it. Follow through and don't hesitate. Be safe, not sorry.
The Gift of Fear: Be conscious of yourself and your surroundings at all times.
Sadly, the world we live in just isn't as safe as it once was. Be conscious of who you are with, where you are, what time it is, and what's going on around you. Losing sight of these things can put you in harm's way. Though women aren't to blame for violent crimes committed against them, they can try to keep themselves safe by being alert to these things.
Fear...Gavin De Becker asserts that it really is a gift, and Oprah agrees. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. The Gift of Fear offers readers real scenarios and an in depth analysis of how the mind works when we are scared. Ultimately, the idea is that fear is a gift that shouldn't be overlooked and could save our lives.
Resources:
Amazon; The Gift of Fear; http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Fear-Gavin-Becker/dp/0440226198/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201648865&sr=8-2
Published by Kelly Herdrich - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness, Travel and Lifestyle
Kelly has a bachelor s degree in elementary education, raises three young daughters, and recently returned from three years living and traveling overseas. Since beginning her freelance writing career, Kelly... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentThe word fear (which is not from God) in this case is using your GOD GIVEN GOOD SENSE of awareness and listening to your bodies signals. Ignoring signals of "should I?" or not? or is this an OK situation? is what protects you from harm.
I do have fear of going down the wrong side of the road in my car and I do have fear of encountering people in the wrong places or situations. I was stalked as a very young girl, became pregnant from that situation and I work in an area of being alone with strangers. I am fine with that but ...Be AWARE not frightened!
Very interesting article. Great points. I'll have to add this to my must read list. Thanks Kelly!
A very nice summary of main points of this point, had me interested in reading it for sure :)
Haven't gotten around to reading this book, but thanks to you it's on my radar!
Very interesting article, I will have to look in to this book.
Interesting summary of this book and well written!
A friend of mine said this is a must read. Now I'm really interested in reading it!
I don't know because fear is not of God :) I may just pass on this one!
You have made me want to read this book too !!
Oh good god, America is already a 'nation' of Fear - now it's a 'gift' of Fear Americans want to. I'm thankful every day I left the US :-)