Traveling Between our own Fear and Courage

• Author: Lacramioara Mocanu, Stefania Ciucur (Frigioiu)
• Position: Associate Professor, PhD, Danubius University of Galati, Romania/Student, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Psychology, Danubius University of Galati, Romania
• Pages: 348-354

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2019

348

Traveling between Our Own Fear and Courage

Lăcramioara Mocanu 1, Ciucur (Frigioiu) Ștefania2

Abstract: There is a hidden power inside us that helps us overcome all the obstacles. We just have to learn to

get that unmanned power and energy out. We can do it through body discipline, breathing, senses, concentration

and meditation. When breathing wanders so does happen with the mind, when the breath is quiet, so is the

mind. To reduce stress, breath control is the most relevant tool to calm the mind. When we are scared or nervous,

breathing is shallow, fast and irregular, when we are relaxed or in a deep state of thinking, breathing becomes

slow. Since our state of mind reflects in this way, it results that we can also control our mood. By regulating

breathing, not only increases oxygen intake but prepares us for exercising concentration and meditation.

Keywords: Breathing; meditation; mind; stress; body discipline

It's frightening, it’s bad. It is evil. It sneaks in all aspects of our lives. We have known it all in depth

since childhood. It influences our thoughts, choices, decisions, reactions, behavior, relationships,

squeezes into discussions, forces us to do things we do not intend to do. It’s contagious ... it’s pungent

... it’s implacable ... It’s her, the fear! We know it. We feel it. We all suffer because of it; it’s part of the

human condition.

But what are we afraid of? Anything! Whatever happens to us or may happen to us in a lifetime. In fact,

we are afraid of life itself, and we feel it daily, because every day we need something, and fear is based

on the idea that our needs cannot be satisfied. Everything we do, our thoughts, the choices, have the

objective of meeting these needs.

The most important thing, on the other hand, is what we do in such a situation, the way we react to the

needs that are not fulfilled, what we do think, how we react to ourselves and others. The quality of our

lives is reduced to how each of us chooses to react when his needs are met and the way he behaves when

those needs don’t find their fulfillment.

How do we get rid of this fear? The solution would be that whenever we feel fear, let us ask ourselves

what do we want to get? Are we sure we need that? In a deeper analysis, we may conclude that we do

not necessarily need that in our lives. We could dare to see our lives unfolding without that. This is the

first step on the road of courage, fearlessness. No one says it’s easy, the world is in a continuous go-

come, we oscillate and we turn between fulfilled needs and unfulfilled needs. We want things to slow

down a little, to breathe deeply, longing for a clear and objective view, to make the best decisions, to be

proud of the choices we make, to talk and to act spontaneously and right to us and others. But ... stupor!

1. Associate Professor, PhD, Danubius University of Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.:

+40372361102, Romania, E-mail: lacramioaramocanu@univ-danubius.ro.

2 St udent, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Psychology, Danubius University of Galati, Romania,

Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, Romania, Coresponding author:

stefaniafrigioiu@yahoo.com.