The Seven Deadly Fears

I had heard about this book from a friend, who also recommended the 7 Deadly needs. This book will hit home with everyone, whether you are in recovery or not - it's the human condition. I really enjoyed it and I will reread it I'm sure. It's a keeper.

Today the world is a very scary place for everyone. But for many of us it has always been a scary place, a lot more so than we care to admit, even to ourselves. And as is usual with things we do not want to look at too closely, we assume that we are the only ones shadowed by these vague feelings of unease. Then along comes Edward Bear's latest book, THE SEVEN DEADLY FEARS, where two of my favorite kindred souls are willing to dive into their own dark corners in order to shed light into mine. The journey starts with the beautifully executed cover of the book. It shows a quiet trail leading into a serene forest--on the trail are listed the 7 Deadly Fears...the fear of change, of intimacy, of conflict, of the unknown, of being a burden, of abandonment and finally, of death. The picture is deceptively benign, yet deceptively familiar. Welcome folks to that wonderous place in the cosmos shared by Edward Bear and Tyler. Here we again find Edward meeting (reluctantly as usual) with his ancient relic of a mentor, the venerable Tyler. And again we are taken into some of the darker spots in the forest and shown where the places of light are to be found. We learn to bring our own light, that of self discovery and awareness, and to shine it into those shrouded corners of life that we fear. Along the way we meet Tyler's friend Mercedes, who plays checkers with God, a curandera that Edward thinks is either Tyler's girlfriend or a witch (or both). As Tyler says, "I like to think of God as a checkers person. Someone who favors a simpler Game." We meet ex-wives of both men as they explore intimacy ("no, Edward...intimacy and sex are not the same thing."). We study the fears of conflict that arise from being raised in the homes of alpha males who think that scary experiences make men out of boys. We learn from Tyler that occasional day trips to the home of the spiritual elite may not be all they're cracked up to be. He gives us very practical tips..."Change anything. Start brushing your teeth left handed." And then there are the usual magnificent quotes scattered throughout the book. I think my favorite is from Satchel Paige, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes you get rained out." Do yourself a favor, read this book. Then look up the other ones Edward Bear has written.

It is amazing how such a small book can be so effective in helping us seriously look at our fears and aim us in the right direction to get rid of them. The dry wit makes it almost painless. We evaluate ourselves...do I have this fear?...hooray, I don't have a problem with that one! Edward Bear has an uncanny way of leading us down the road to happy destiny.