Unmasking Fear: How Fears Are Our Gateways to Freedom

Imagine the possibilities if instead of avoiding the things you feared, you approached them with courage and curiosity.

When we are in the grip of fear, our world can get very small and for many of us, the number of choices shrink to just four basic reactions: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. That’s not a lot of options. On a collective level, elements of our society like governments, religions, and businesses sometimes instill fear to divide and control—to keep us feeling dependent on them instead of ourselves. On an individual level, fear can be the reason we’re living a life that’s not reflective of our truth or potential. It’s what keeps us feeling stuck and holds us back. What most of us don’t realize is that fear has much to teach us.

“Fear Technician” Guryan Tighe reframes the way we approach fear from the goal of conquering it to a goal of learning from it by providing readers three gateways to look at fear in a way that frees us: curiosity, gratitude, and purpose. She shows us how to interrupt our initial reaction, pause, check in with ourselves, and rewrite the patterns we use to respond to that which we fear. With this shift in thinking and how to engage it, readers will find new pathways forward as they shift from unintentional reactions to intentional responses.

When we change our relationship to fear, we gain valuable insights that inform our growth and development, connecting us more deeply to our truth. This different approach to fear doesn’t just transform our relationship with ourselves but can also unite us with others through empathy and shared purpose. What has the power to separate us from ourselves and each other—fear—also has the power to unite us. Unmasking Fear shows us that fear is courage unrealized and understanding our fears frees us to pursue the life we want.