There is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself (F. Roosevelt Quote)

 

Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.


The month of October is commonly associated with scary things and fear because of the October 31st holiday of Halloween. Yet, originally, Halloween comes from the term All Hallows’ Eve which is a celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Similar to Día de Los Muertos, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days celebrated the souls of those who died. They were believed to return to visit their homes on these days or believe to journey to the otherworld. Celebrations included feasts and bonfires, masks, and costumes. Halloween has evolved since those days and includes a specific emphasis on scary things and focuses our minds on the dark and fearful. There are benefits to fear. It may seem crazy, but the truth is that fear is a necessary survival tool.

Benefits of Fear:


Fear keeps you safe. Fear is an internal alarm system. It lets you know when you are being unsafe or think you are unsafe and prompts you to action.


Fear temporarily boosts your immune system. In a 2009 study, participants’ blood was tested before and after a horror movie. The results showed that physiological fear caused an elevation in white blood cells- which strengthens your immune system.


Fear gives you a natural high and sense of empowerment. When you feel fear, your body releases adrenaline, dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin. This increases your energy and focuses your brain. When you come through a challenge or an obstacle, you feel empowered because you overcame that challenge.


Fear helps you manage stress and relaxes you. Stress is fear-based. You worry about unknown consequences or unpredictable events. When under stress, your body and brain are filled with adrenaline and dopamine. This rush of energy can focus you to accomplish things or make choices. Once this happens, you are able to relax and take a breath.

The key to having the benefit of fear without the drawbacks is to remember that we must embrace our fears in small doses. As with anything in life, too much fear can cripple a person, cause doubt and frustration so that all of the potential learning and accomplishment disappears and we are thrown into crisis mode. Small doses of fear help us overcome, grow, learn. This doesn’t mean that you must tackle everything you fear at once nor does it mean all situations that fear appears can be beneficial. Life-threatening situations cause fear which will hopefully keep us safe, but it can also paralyze us. The important thing to remember is that everyone feels fear in their lives and more often than not, it will help us become better.

Something to Fright, Something to Fathom, and Something to Repulse

This blog's book talk centers around the ghoulish, ghostly, and monstrous. This slideshow has some recommendations of mysteries, tales, horror, and just good stories. It also includes some collections that have many more titles available in our catalog. Click on the picture and check out some scary stories. (Hint the QR codes in the presentation take you to the link in the catalog so you are able to put it on hold for checkout. Make sure you are logged in to make it go smoothly.)

Impossible or Possible? It's all in Your Mindset

As we close out the Everything is Possible mindset, and Halloween is approaching, it’s important to reflect on fear.  The greatest obstacle to taking action on something is fear of failure, but the most successful people in the world don’t see failure, only feedback. Simply learn from mistakes and move forward, because this is the only way to make our dreams into reality. Act on them, and be prepared to adjust. 

A brick wall stood in the middle of a New York City park accompanied by a sign encouraging passersby to try kicking through it.  Watch what happened.

Could You Kick Through this Wall?

After watching the video, talk to your family members and discuss these questions:

• How did the brick wall make you feel at first?

• When have you felt like you can't do something? Explain.

• When is a time that you have had to face your fears and persevere through them?

Change Requires Heroes (and maybe even Rebels)

 

Be a Change Agent

A Change Agent is defined as a person from inside or outside an organization who helps that organization transform how it operates. Essentially, a change agent is a person who sees a problem within the system and decides to make it better. As our world changes evermore, we need more change agents who are willing to look at the systems they are in and disrupt them to make them better. This doesn't necessarily mean make them like you, but rather change them to be better. Being a change agent is hard, stressful, and sometimes disheartening but the reward when you see the progress made is exhilarating. When you move to change things, you will always encounter the doubters, the nay-sayers, the worry-warts, but you can also face a change fossil. Change fossils are the people who are comfortable with a system the way it is. They aren't concerned with nor are they interested in a different perspective. Change fossils are scary because they are so stuck in their spot, they can't move without pain. We never want to become a change fossil and we want to strive to be a change agent. 

What characteristics make up a Change Agent, you might ask? Here is a list from Alan Barclay, a management professor at Colorado State University;

1. Demonstrate persistence. When things get difficult, these people are resilient. They may take a deep breath or crack a joke to alleviate tension, but they keep moving. 
2. Set Goals. Change Agents don't live moment to moment. They see a problem, they set a course to a solution. This doesn't mean they don't have to be flexible. Part of their resiliency comes from being a problem-solver. When something doesn't go right, they navigate the course to their goal or they move their goal to align with their course. They keep moving.
3. Possess the Right Attitude. Change agents know they will meet resistance. They work to create an open, respectful atmosphere where it is safe to ask questions and push. They don't look for conflict, but rather a way to approach things which people can reach out.
4. Grace Under Pressure. Part of being resilient and a problem-solver is knowing that no amount of planning will cover every possibility. When your goal gets off course, you need to stay calm, look at what needs to be adjusted to move forward. It also means that you need to find a healthy balance in your life. If something is going wrong, you need to have space or some time to regroup and do something you love. Keep your mental health up just as you do your physical health.
5. Show Empathy. Change is not easy. Even if you have a group that wants the same change as you, they may not be prepared for the work. Some will be prepared for the work, but worried about the outcomes and what they will mean. Regardless, change is not easy. You must be willing to listen to the doubts and anxieties of others. You need to acknowledge the resistance and work with those people as well. You can't be so set on the change that you become a change fossil and are unwilling to listen and learn from others.

How do you become a change agent? Dina Buchbinder created three simple ways you can become a change agent.

1.  Look and understand at your community- whether it be your town, city, neighborhood, state, nation, or international. What do people need to be successful? Is there an environmental, animal, or human cause that inspires you and you want to change what is happening?
2.  Walk Your Talk. Show your passion for your goals. Demonstrate your willingness to work through a solution using teamwork, respect, tolerance, responsibility, and empathy. Always remember that change is hard.
3. Get Moving. Stay active physically, emotionally, and mentally. Don't stay holed up in your room, use your feet, use your voice, use your tech know-how to reach out and build relationships and get your messaging for your cause out.

There are many areas which need you to be a change agent in our world. If you are searching for ideas, a great resource for global citizenship in sustainable development comes from the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

Banned Book Week

Books are tools to help people navigate the world around them. Whether it is through nonfiction books that explain about historical events, people, or current events or fictional stories that help us explore situations through creative discourse, books give us freedom to explore, learn, and grow in understanding our world and ourselves. Access to information and intellectual freedom uplifts people in crisis and pushes thinking when people are in times of peace. When individuals or groups challenge that intellectual freedom and access to information, it is a threat for all. Every year,  we join the American Library Association and the Banned Books Week Coalition in celebrating Banned Books Week. We support the idea that while you may choose not to read a book because you don't like the content or ideas it expresses, you do not have the right to prevent others from reading it. Libraries, and Libratories, are places of freedom and choice. Celebrate the week with us by looking at the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019 or peruse some of the most often challenged books in the 21st Century of the United States. Better yet, read one and decide for yourself if it is a good book!

Everything is Possible

Everything is Possible is the theme we are exploring in 7 Mindsets right now.  You’re learning that everything which exists today was once just an idea until someone believed it was possible and took the actions to make it into reality.  We seek to instill the belief that your goals are possible and to foster the courage, discipline, and persistence to act on achieving your dreams.  These concepts can also tie into the discussion of being a Change Agent.  Please watch the video below as Kid President travels to Selma, Alabama to meet some kids making a difference and a woman who was a freedom fighter during the Civil Rights Movement. 

A Message for People Who Want to Change the World 

Now that you’ve watched the video, think of ways you can be a change agent in your community and share them with your family.  You’ve been creating vision boards during ACCESS, and you can add this new goal to your board - as well as reading one of the banned books from the list!